The beautiful country of Malta was the backdrop of the 28th Annual Medicines for Europe Conference for 2023. One of the key themes of the conference was assuring a consistent supply of essential medicines to all of Europe. This topic was at the heart of all the sessions.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe has a rich history, but in recent years, owing to cost pressures, much of the manufacturing of medicines for Europe has moved to India and China, as is seen in other markets as well. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for Europe to expand its medicines manufacturing capacity to ensure a secure supply of essential medicines. The pandemic caused significant disruptions to global supply chains, highlighting the vulnerability of the pharmaceutical industry and the risks of dependence on a limited number of producers.
Lachman President and CEO Frances Zipp was the moderator for the second session, “Increasing Medicines Manufacturing Capacity in Europe”. The panelists represented all parts of the industry, including governmental agencies and private industry. The panelists discussed various topics, including challenges that EU manufacturers face when investing in manufacture in Europe, how small countries in Europe (such as Malta) can play a vital role in the manufacture of medicines, what countries are doing to address supply chain security, and the continued production of essential antibiotics in Europe. Panelists also discussed topics such as whether and how Europe could be competitive (answer is a resounding Yes!), what lessons learned from the pandemic could apply to the continued European production (answer is that there were many lessons learned that are being practiced today!).
The manufacture and supply of medicines throughout the EU is complex, given the political landscape, as well as the differences in languages, wealth gaps, and wide variations in population. Open discussion and continued dialogue, such as what took place at this conference, will continue to help address some of these issues. Many of the problems experienced by European manufacturers are similar (if not identical) to those experienced by US manufacturers.
If your firm needs advice or is thinking of entering the European market, Lachman is there for you. We have recently opened an office in Dublin and have a long history of assisting clients in Europe. Our Ireland office website is www.lachmanconsultants.ie or reach out to us at query@lachmanconsultants.com.
