Pharma

Big Pharma companies urge Irish government to oppose new EU law to increase competition

Global bosses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen and more told Leo Varadkar that the rules ‘will seriously put at risk Europe’s standing in the global race to attract investments to develop new treatments for patients, jobs and growth’

The European Commission’s proposed rules remove two years of data protection from new medicines, allowing unbranded rivals to enter the market more quickly. Picture: Getty

Global pharmaceutical companies have urged the Irish government to oppose new EU laws that will slash the amount of time between the launch of a new drug and rival firms being able to develop competing products.

The global chief executives of 27 companies wrote to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in March raising concern over the proposals, which are the first major overhaul of the EU’s medicines regulations in 20 years and aim to make access to ...