Three questions for the new Chair of the Market Committee: Myriam DeLeone, Managing Director of Amgen Switzerland

“Switzerland has one of the best healthcare systems in the world – but this success is increasingly uncertain.”

The Swiss pharmaceutical industry is successful, but is now under severe pressure. What do you think of these developments, and what does this have to do with the Swiss market?

Switzerland has one of the best healthcare systems in the world – but this success is increasingly uncertain. The framework conditions for research, development and market access have deteriorated significantly in recent years. Today, Swiss patients only have access to around half of the new therapies that Germany has available. Switzerland has slipped to seventh place in the European ranking in terms of access to innovative medicines. One key reason is the outdated pricing system, which does not adequately reflect the true benefits of new therapies. If we want innovation to continue to reach people quickly, we need transparent, predictable and modern processes – from approval to reimbursement. This is the only way to ensure that Switzerland remains a country that enables medical advances instead of delaying them.

What initiatives would you like to get started through the Market Committee in order to meet the challenges facing Switzerland as a location for pharmaceuticals?

The Market Committee is the platform for jointly tackling the structural challenges facing the Swiss healthcare system. We want to use facts to show where Switzerland risks falling behind internationally – whether in terms of access to new therapies, clinical research or digitalization.

Our three priorities are:

1. A reversal in the policy of cost containment, which is eroding the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and endangering security of supply.
2. Modernization of the pricing system to ensure that innovations are available and fairly remunerated in Switzerland.
3. Development of a national life sciences strategy to secure long-term competitiveness. Reforms must not aim at containing costs in the short term; rather, they must reconcile security of supply, research and access.

What other priorities would you like to focus on in your new role as Chair of the Market Committee?

Together with the Interpharma member companies, it is important to us that we are perceived as a reliable, solution-oriented partner – with the aim of taking responsibility for the future of the healthcare system. We see our role as building bridges: between industry, politics, public authorities and society. Only through constructive dialog can the necessary reforms be implemented. Our common goal is to turn the Swiss market back into a true market for innovation: a place where new therapies are available at an early stage and patients can benefit quickly.