European Parliament seeks to shake up pharma research

MEPs say public funding should focus on unmet patient needs and off-patent drugs

The European Parliament is seeking to change how pharmaceutical research is publicly supported in the EU, by influencing a forthcoming update to a pharmaceutical strategy for the bloc in a way that maximises the benefits for patients.

A resolution adopted on 24 November called on the European Commission to “assess, and revise where appropriate, the system of incentives to promote research into, and the development of, new medicines for unmet diagnostic and therapeutic needs”.