Greece risks being downgraded in the strategic priorities of multinational pharmaceutical companies, head of trade group warns
As Europe struggles to remain competitive in pharmaceutical innovation, a debate in Athens on 11 June exposed a challenge facing many healthcare systems on how to fund breakthrough medicines without overwhelming public budgets.
Against that backdrop, Olympios Papadimitriou, President of the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (SFEE), warned that “three out of five innovative medicines” may not be launched in Greece within the next two to three years, during the SFEE’s 3rd Summit. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, on the other hand, argued that governments cannot respond to rising costs through ever-increasing spending alone.
Framework of “shared responsibility” is needed
Papadimitriou painted a bleak picture of the current environment, arguing that Greece’s reimbursement framework is becoming increasingly unsustainable for pharmaceutical companies. “Everything is judged by the outcome,” Papadimitriou said, warning that Greece risks being downgraded in the strategic priorities of multinational pharmaceutical companies.
