European Pharma Leaders Warn of Loss to US and China
Chairs of nine major European pharmaceutical companies urged national leaders to treat medicines as strategic infrastructure to reverse a decline in global competitiveness.
The chairs of nine major European pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, GSK, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Roche, and Novartis, sent a letter to European national leaders on September 22, 2026, warning that the continent is losing its competitive edge to the United States and China.
Industry leaders reported that Europe's share of global pharmaceutical research and development fell from 43% in 1990 to 31%. They noted that China has already overtaken Europe in both clinical trials and pharmaceutical patents. The group highlighted a significant investment gap, stating that the US and China announced over $600 billion in pharmaceutical investment over the last two years.
The companies urged governments to treat medicines as strategic infrastructure to secure health sovereignty and attract investment in next-generation medicines. They claimed that closing the clinical trials gap alone could create 82,000 jobs in Europe and generate €53 billion.
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