Vienna as a pharmaceutical location: challenges and new therapies in focus

Vienna as a pharmaceutical location: challenges and new therapies in focus

In the coming weeks, groundbreaking cancer therapy from Vienna in the USA could come onto the market. As those responsible confirm, a new oncology product for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer is approved in less than 100 days. This represents significant progress for pharmaceutical research at the Vienna location, which is characterized by a strong global orientation. The medication produced here will not only be sold in the USA, but also in Japan, where it is to come onto the market in 2025 and in other countries.

The Vienna location offers many advantages due to its extensive production capacities. The company supplies over 120 countries worldwide with a variety of preparations, including products for stroke prevention. Nevertheless, the European market is perceived as challenging, since the approval processes here take much longer than in other regions, especially the USA, where the innovation acceptance seems to be higher.

admission delays in Europe

The problem is even more complicated by the fact that numerous pharmaceutical companies welcome their products to a faster approval in countries such as Japan and China. Opinions about the structures of the European registration authority EMA are divided because the long processing times are increasingly criticized. The approval of new therapies in Austrian hospitals could also be found through additional evaluation processes as an innovation brake, which could endure rapid access to therapies for patients.

The challenges of the current political situation are also difficult for the company. Government negotiations could bring fundamental changes. The industry is asking politics to create a supportive environment for research and development to ensure that innovative products can also get on the market quickly. This is not only a question of the quality of care, but also of international competitiveness.

The economic framework conditions

The situation in the Austrian healthcare system is also characterized by increasing costs for wages and energy. Under these conditions, the question arises as to how much scope for price negotiations for medication. The pharmaceutical share of health costs has reached a minimum and is currently only a little over 12 percent. Despite increasing production costs, pharmaceutical companies are forced to reduce their prices, which also contains the economic situation.

Interesting developments can also be observed in planning for a new production facility in Bruck an der Leitha. Although the first plans were rejected due to the current market, the property remains in the possession of the company in order to be able to expand future capacities quickly if necessary. It is clear, however, that the competitiveness of the location is also suffering from severely increased wages, which makes the Austria investment location more unattractive as a whole.