BioWorld International Correspondent

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European biotech association, EuropaBio, has been publicly defending its achievements in the face of accusations that Europe's 1,800 smaller biotech firms are inadequately represented.

In a letter to the editor in the January 2008 issue of Nature Biotechnology, Johan Vanhemelrijck, EuropaBio's secretary general, said his association successfully defended their interests "as service providers" to the European Union's current initiative to stimulate the development of innovative medicines, and has helped protect their innovations "so that they can get a return on investment from innovative tests aimed at reducing the need for animal testing."

In his letter, the EuropaBio chief acknowledged the difficulty of engaging smaller firms in Europe, which he said, were reticent to engage more actively with his association, and he agreed that "more could be done" for them.

He also suggested that more focus by smaller firms on early lobbying in Brussels could avoid unfavorable EU legislation being voted in the European decision-making process. "A focus on repairing the damage when the rules are already being transposed into national law is often too late," he said. Smaller firms "must also become a motor for influencing EU policy and be ready to take direct action on EU lobbying activities."

EuropaBio Wants Broader Health Assessment

European Union moves to promote health technology assessment as a political priority are meeting with a measured response from the European biotechnology industry. The EU is funding a Denmark-based European network of 35 organizations with a mandate to exchange information among national agencies, research institutions and health ministries to provide policy advice to EU member states on allocation of health care resources.

EuropaBio has responded favorably to a consultation by the Danish Centre for Evaluation and Health Technology Assessment in Copenhagen and said it would welcome the initiative to generate European-level criteria and analysis. But it also urged full attention to the assessment of medical, social, economic and ethical issues.

Notably, EuropaBio is emphasizing the need for what it terms "a broader perspective" - in other words, determining the value of a technology while considering "economic, medical, technological, social, ethical, psychological and anthropological aspects."

As part of its campaign to defend the role of efficient medication in cutting overall health care costs, EuropaBio is insisting that any evaluation should take account of the entire healthcare budget. It also wants to see early dialogue - at pre-authorization stage - between companies and national authorities responsible for decisions on drug reimbursement, so as to examine national definitions for measurement of therapeutic progress.

The fundamental aim of health technology assessment, EuropaBio said, should be "rapid uptake of innovative health interventions and technologies and improved health outcomes for patients."