Global Gateway | Health: Dialogue with the Biopharmaceutical Industry

In September 2021, in light of the devastating effects of COVID-19 throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) presented a Health Self-Sufficiency Plan, unanimously approved by the member countries. This plan continues to guide national, regional, and collaborative efforts with the EU and its member states. 

In 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez proposed an EU-LAC partnership to support the objectives outlined in the Health Self-Sufficiency Plan for LAC. Since then, Spain has co-led with the European Commission a series of actions to promote Team Europe initiatives, focusing on the three immediate priorities: in supporting local manufacturing of vaccines and medicines (mobilizing investments for the private sector); in working with governments to reform national regulatory frameworks and strengthen the business ecosystem, and in promoting knowledge exchange and innovation. 

The EU-LAC partnership represents an opportunity to partner with the pharmaceutical, biotech and MedTech industries and private sector networks to enhance local manufacturing capacity for medicines, vaccines, and health products, and diversify global value chains. 

The initiative is part of the Global Gateway Investment Agenda for LAC, presented at the EU-LAC Summit of July 2023, and includes a series of high-level meetings reflected in the roadmap approved at the EU-LAC Heads of State and Government Summit in July 2023. The most recent meeting, held in March 2024, brought together senior representatives from European and LAC governments, national regulatory agencies, the private sector on both sides of the Atlantic, and representatives from associations, civil society, and the European Commission. 

As part of the Global Gateway Investment Agenda, the EU is promoting dialogue with the biopharmaceutical private sector, aiming at exchanging information, facilitating contacts, and stimulate interest and identify opportunities to support the production of medicines and vaccines, as well as national-level reforms to achieve common goals. The first dialogue took place in March 2023 and focused on sharing pharmaceutical innovations, coupled with an on-line pharma marketplace. 

This event is part of that dialogue and aims at consolidating a “Health platform for exchanges between European and LAC biopharmaceutical companies by moving forward the following objectives: (1) to inform the private sector of the instruments developed so far, (2) to provide examples of investments and actions taken, and (3) to gather key information for the next period, including identifying investment opportunities. Additionally, this dialogue aims to (4) to facilitate contacts among biopharmaceutical sector agents, private companies, and R&D institutions, and (5) to support the formation of networks, partnerships, and associations.

Expected outcomes: 

• Key factors for investing in the production and access to medicines, vaccines, and health products in LAC: state of play/how things are moving/Team Europe approach and instruments available. 
• Further analyse the barriers faced by European/LAC companies in the LAC region and conditions to seize market opportunities. 
• Address companies' perspectives on essential medicine supply issues and the pharmaceutical and biotechnological value chains. 
• Stimulate interest and facilitate connections among companies, funding entities, and research institutes.

POSSIBLE TOPICS: 

• Requirements to achieve common production of medicines in LAC and how European companies can support this goal, 
• Key factors for health self-sufficiency in LAC and addressing supply issues. Replicable success stories. 
• Investments in R&D&I. Technology transfer and its impact on production. 
• Mechanisms to establish public-private partnerships. 

PARTICIPANTS: Maximum 169 in-person, unlimited remote participation 

1. European and LAC pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies 
2. European and LAC research and development institutes 
3. Multilateral, European, and LAC development banks 
4. Representatives of the European Commission and Spain, co-leading the Team Europe approach on health

Closed registration.