Austria's pharmaceutical industry: Access to medication in the focus of the future!

Austria's pharmaceutical industry: Access to medication in the focus of the future!

Wien, Österreich - On May 27, 2025, the 71st General Assembly of Pharmig, a central event for the pharmaceutical industry in Austria. The new presidency is managed by Pavol Dobrocky, who works for the Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna. He is supported by the Vice President Roland Huemer by Richter Pharma AG, Elisabeth Keil by Daiichi Sankyo Austria GmbH and Nicole Daniela Schlautmann by Merck Sharp & Dohme Ges.m.b.H. Bernhard Wittmann from Sigmapharm Arzneimittel GmbH also returns to the board.

The main topic of the event was on access to innovative medication and ensuring care. Various experts, including Pavol Dobrocky, Gabriela Kornek as medical director of the AKH Vienna and Peter McDonald, chairman of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund, spoke in a discussion on the Life Sciences in Austria. This round was briefly moderated by Meinrad. Essential issues such as top medicine, research, production and market access were discussed to promote efficient healthcare.

political support and challenges

The State Secretary for Energy, Start-Ups and Tourism, Elisabeth Zehetner, also took part in the event. It emphasized the need to reduce bureaucracy, to keep the wage costs affordable and to ensure safe energy supply in order to improve cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry. Pavol Dobrocky emphasized the importance of the pharmaceutical industry in Austria and referred to the current challenges by the EU pharmaceutical system and the requirements for the supply chains. The aim of the event was to promote a constructive dialogue between politics and administration in order to better consider the needs of the patient: inside and the industry.

In addition, the Pharmig board also discussed the effects of reforms of EU drug law, which were initiated by the European Commission two years ago. These reforms are intended to slim down the official structures and make the regulatory processes more efficient in order to accelerate access to medicinal products. Experts in this area stated that the admission procedures in the United States could serve as a model, whereby the differences between the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were discussed.

approval process in Austria

In Austria, drug approval takes place in accordance with the Austrian Medicines Act by the Federal Office of Healthcare (BASG). Experts check the effectiveness, harmlessness and quality of the medicines in the approval process. This approval is initially granted for five years, whereby a new application must be made at the BASG after this period in order to check the medicine again. Only if the benefit-risk profile of the drug is appropriate and the benefits outweigh the risks will the approval be extended. Changes to already approved drugs must also be approved by the BASG.

In summary, the topics of the General Assembly and the discussions about the approval process illustrate the importance of close cooperation between the pharmaceutical industry, politics and the health authorities. The harmonization of the approval and reimbursement processes in Europe is of great relevance to ensure access to medicinal products for all patients.