Novartis Forum addresses Italian pharmaceutical competitiveness

At a forum hosted by Novartis in Rome, government officials, industry leaders, and the scientific community discussed the competitiveness of the Italian and European pharmaceutical sectors. The discussions focused on the need to attract investment, ensure regulatory certainty, and provide patients with timely access to new therapies.

Italian Health Minister Orazio Schillaci emphasized the challenge of aligning healthcare systems with the rapid pace of scientific progress, noting that bureaucracy often lags behind innovation. He expressed a commitment to expanding the innovation fund to ensure the industry continues to invest in Italy.

Additionally, Tiziana Mele, CEO of Lundbeck Italy, highlighted the importance of brain health strategies. Speaking at the 56th Congress of the Italian Society of Neurology, she warned that access to therapeutic innovations must not become an Achilles heel, calling for more fluid processes to bring innovative drugs into clinical practice at national, regional, and local levels.