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Italy pharmaceutical sector faces supply chain fragility and rising costs
Reports from the pharmaceutical sector in Italy and Europe highlight growing vulnerabilities in medicine supply chains and the economic pressures facing the industry. An AIFA dossier indicates that while current drug shortages in Italy do not constitute a health emergency—with nearly 2,000 of the 2,600 listed medicines having available equivalents or alternatives—the underlying supply chain remains fragile due to heavy reliance on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from Asia, specifically China and India.
Simultaneously, the Egualia XI Report shows that while the accessible medicines sector in Italy grew to 6.8 billion euros in revenue, profitability has slowed to 2.8% due to a 32.1% increase in production costs since 2020. Experts warn that in a regulated price market, efficiency gains may no longer offset rising costs for raw materials and services.
To ensure healthcare sustainability, Italian officials and industry leaders are emphasizing the role of generic and biosimilar medicines. The use of equivalents is projected to save the public healthcare system 1.2 billion euros between 2026 and 2028. However, Italy currently lags behind other European nations in the utilization of these cost-effective options, prompting calls for better professional training and public information to overcome historical stigmas regarding their quality.
Entities
AIFA · China · Egualia · European Union · India · Italian Medicines Agency · Italy · Lilly Italy Hub · Marcello Gemmato · Mario Negri Institute · Nomisma · Orazio Schillaci
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Production costs for accessible medicine companies increased by 32.1% between 2020 and 2024. laltravoce.com · www.forchecaudine.com · www.sardegnalive.net · www.vglobale.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] The use of equivalent drugs is expected to save the public treasury 1.2 billion euros between 2026 and 2028. www.corcianonline.it · www.ilfattonisseno.it · www.vetrinatv.it
- [● 2 SOURCES] Between 60% and 80% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in Europe come from Asia. www.sardegnagol.eu
- [● 4 SOURCES] The profitability of accessible medicine companies fell to 2.8% in 2025. laltravoce.com · www.forchecaudine.com · www.sardegnalive.net · www.vglobale.it
- [● 7 SOURCES] Drug shortages in Italy do not currently constitute a health emergency. www.sardegnagol.eu · trendsanita.it · www.rifday.it
- [● 6 SOURCES] Fewer than 2,600 drugs are on the shortage lists as of September. trendsanita.it · www.rifday.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] Italy ranks among the last European countries for the utilization of equivalent drugs. www.corcianonline.it · www.ilfattonisseno.it · www.vetrinatv.it
- [● 6 SOURCES] Nearly 2,000 of the listed drugs have equivalents or therapeutic alternatives available in the national market. trendsanita.it · www.rifday.it