European drugmakers say they are ‘losing ground’ to US and Chinese rivals
News Source
•Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:04:10 GMT
📰 What Happened
The chairs of nine big European drug companies wrote to national leaders warning that Europe is losing the race for drug investment. Their letter says over $600bn of pharma investment was announced in the US and China in just two years. It calls on governments to treat medicines as key national infrastructure. Signatories include AstraZeneca, GSK, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Novartis and Roche.
🔍 The Backstory
Europe's share of global drug research has fallen from 43% in 1990 to 31%. Its share of clinical trials halved to 9% in a decade, while China's rose to almost 30%. Almost half of newly approved medicines did not reach European patients last year, and approved drugs take nearly 600 days on average to arrive. The companies say closing the trials gap could create 82,000 jobs.
🎯 Why It Matters
Fewer trials and slower approvals mean patients wait longer for new treatments. It also threatens jobs and money in a sector Europe has led for decades.
The chairs of nine big European drug companies wrote to national leaders warning that Europe is losing the race for drug investment. Their letter says over $600bn of pharma investment was announced in the US and China in just two years. It calls on governments to treat medicines as key national infrastructure. Signatories include AstraZeneca, GSK, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Novartis and Roche.
Europe's share of global drug research has fallen from 43% in 1990 to 31%. Its share of clinical trials halved to 9% in a decade, while China's rose to almost 30%. Almost half of newly approved medicines did not reach European patients last year, and approved drugs take nearly 600 days on average to arrive. The companies say closing the trials gap could create 82,000 jobs.
Fewer trials and slower approvals mean patients wait longer for new treatments. It also threatens jobs and money in a sector Europe has led for decades.