Chicago, United States, 5 May 2010

Today EuropaBio hosts a high-level workshop on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) at the International BIO Conference in Chicago.

HTA is the process of assessing the value of medical technologies on the basis of which governments take decisions on whether to grant patient access to them. The EuropaBio workshop will bring together high level policy makers and industry specialists from across Europe and the US to analyse the value of HTA in healthcare technology.  Discussion will focus on the specificities of biotech innovation, and how these can be properly taken into account when performing HTA, as well as strategies to manage and improve the US healthcare system and the future of HTA.

Speaking before the event EuropaBio Chairman, Andrea Rappagliosi, said: “On both sides of the Atlantic, payers are taking a more strategic view of healthcare management, and there is a growing focus on value for money. I sincerely believe that all stakeholders, including industry, government, payers, regulators and HTA bodies, are driven by a desire to improve the lives of citizens and patients. EuropaBio strongly advocates that healthcare systems in Europe should put patients at the centre of any medical, social, economical or ethical considerations” 

Thomas Bols, Chair of the EuropaBio Healthcare Council and a speaker at the event added: “There is a need to move the debate forward from the view that HTA only represents an extra hurdle between drug companies and the market because it can also be an important step in the innovation process. If carried out in a transparent and balanced way, addressing all parties needs and concerns, it could encourage further drug development, especially in areas of unmet medical needs through high-end innovation of biotech products.”

On the subject of progress on HTA in the EU Mr Bols continued “We notice with interest the Commission’s initiative to enhance improvements in the spread of expertise across the member states and make more transparent the evaluations carried out by EU countries by 2012, and as a relevant stakeholder we are more than happy to contribute to the debate.”

EuropaBio’s Secretary General, Nathalie Moll, who will help facilitate the workshop concluded “Today’s meeting represents another important milestone for EuropaBio and BIO in our transatlantic dialogue to engage on this critical issue for our industry as a whole.” 

For more information on BIO Chicago 2010, please visit: http://convention.bio.org/default.aspx

For further information, contact:

Julie Kjestrup

Healthcare Manager

EuropaBio

Tel: +32 2 739 11 78

gsm: +32 485 36 99 16

Email: j.kjestrup@europabio.org

or

Joanna Dupont Inglis

Communications Manager

EuropaBio

Tel: +32 2 735 0313

gsm: +32 476 607135