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‘Health revolution’: when smart innovation benefits patients

Date

21 Nov 2019

Sections

Health & Consumers

Brussels, 21 November 2019

Value added medicines deliver sustainable and continuous innovation with existing molecules and enhance patients’ well-being.

The 3rd Value Added Medicines Conference brought together thought leaders to discuss the future of digital delivery and the regulatory and market access framework for value added medicines, to help tackle chronic diseases and an ageing population.

According to IQVIA, value added medicines have grown 1% in volume in the EU over the last year 1,2, and many more initiatives are needed for improving patients’ access to value added medicines. During the conference, a multi-stakeholder exchange of ideas identified clear next steps to improve patients’ access to value added medicines:
 

  • Timely approval of value added medicines via streamlined scientific advice processes, fit-for-purpose trial designs and agreed approval pathways with tailor-made incentives for innovation
  • ‘Next generation guidelines’ advised by physicians here
  • pragmatic value framework that enables access to value added medicines and considers the specific benefits of value added medicines
  • the contribution of digital value added medicines in changing the paradigm of disease management and benefiting patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems.

Speaking at the conference, the Chair of the Value Added Medicines Sector Group at Medicines for Europe, Arun Narayan, commented “The number of people over 80 will double by 2050, rising from 4.7% to 11.3% across 27 EU members.Governments will be more challenged ­­­to deliver high-quality care due to rising demand and the physical and mental challenges associated with ageing and value added medicines provide one solution. Within 18 months of the introduction of a pricing and reimbursement legislation in Belgium that supports value added medicines, more Belgian patients are benefiting from safer and more convenient value added medicines. We urge EU governments to adopt the Belgian approach and seize the benefits of continuous improvements to transform health care”.

Medicines for Europe President, Christoph Stoller, added “Patients must sit at the heart of the digital health revolution. There are clear and significant benefits to be gained. We have discussed the opportunities ahead - how to make the most of the digital health revolution so that patients can be the ultimate beneficiaries from such continuous innovation. Our ambition as value added medicines manufacturers is to contribute to a healthier society bringing tailored solutions to patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Today’s conference is a crucial milestone in creating the right environment for value added medicines in Europe.

Winners of the 2nd Edition of Value Added Medicines award announced!

The Value Added Medicines sector group instituted two awards for projects that bring value added solutions to patients. The winners of the 2019 awards were: 

Winner category ‘Initiatives/campaigns that aim to improve patients’ quality of life and/or adherence and/or demonstrate relevant value added benefits on existing treatments’: 

Project ‘Psoplus, A Patient-Centred Consultation Programme For Patients With Psoriasis’, Elfie Deprez.

Winner category ‘Scientific research/projects led by academics/healthcare professionals/developers that aim to improve existing treatment adherence and/or convenience and/or patients’ preferences and/or demonstrate relevant value added benefits for patients.’

Project ‘MASK digital anamorphosis: Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice and value added medicines’, Prof Dr Jean Bousquet.

Medicines for Europe Communications:
 
About the Value Added Medicines Group
The Value Added Medicines Group is a sector group of Medicines for Europe which aims at optimizing, rethinking and reinventing medicines based on known molecules and by bringing untapped innovation to improve care delivery. The Value Added Medicines Group adopts a complementary perspective compared to the other Medicines for Europe sector groups: by tackling the targeted portion of patients’ needs that remain unmet to this day, delivering additional improvement to the healthcare community as a whole.
 
About Medicines for Europe
Medicines for Europe represents the generic, biosimilar and value added medicines industries across Europe. Its vision is to provide sustainable access to high quality medicines, based on 5 important pillars: patients, quality, value, sustainability and partnership. Its members directly employ 190,000 people at over 400 manufacturing and 126 R&D sites in Europe, and invest up to 17% of their turnover in R&D investment. Medicines for Europe member companies across Europe are both increasing access to medicines and driving improved health outcomes. They play a key role in creating sustainable European healthcare systems by continuing to provide high quality, effective generic medicines, whilst also innovating to create new biosimilar medicines and bringing to market value added medicines, which deliver better health outcomes, greater efficiency and/or improved safety in the hospital setting for patients. For more information please follow us at www.medicinesforeurope.com and on Twitter @medicinesforEU.
 

1. IQVIA. Midas database. 2019.

2. Prescription market