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On Tuesday, 14 July, AmCham EU hosted Csaba Kontor, Policy Assistant, Cabinet of European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, for a discussion on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in the life sciences sector. Moderated by Katerina Valkova (Bristol Myers Squibb), Chair, Healthcare Committee, AmCham EU, the exchange explored how policy decisions can support investment through research and innovation while ensuring patients in Europe can access health innovation. Participants also discussed the importance of resilient EU-US supply chains and regulatory cooperation, as well as the need to avoid divergence and provide the scale and predictability required to sustain Europe’s position as a leading destination for life sciences investment.

Pfizer selected Denmark as the site of the largest vaccine registry study ever undertaken, demonstrating how Europe can attract world-leading life sciences investment when the right conditions are in place. Beginning in 2024, Pfizer partnered with researchers at the Center for Translational Cardiology and Pragmatic Randomized Trials at Herlev-Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen to assess whether its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine could reduce hospitalisations in adults. Denmark’s innovation-friendly environment, national digital mailbox eBoks and world-class health registries enabled researchers to invite almost the entire adult population to take part, helping recruit more than 500,000 participants. Study materials were made available online, allowing participants to provide informed consent from home, while health registries supported comprehensive tracking and analysis. This milestone shows how strong public-private collaboration and a supportive policy framework can help Europe deliver clinical research at scale and improve health outcomes for citizens. Read the full story on Invested in Europe. 

Europe’s life sciences sector sits at the heart of the EU’s competitiveness agenda. It supports advanced manufacturing and helps bring new treatments and technologies to patients. Yet companies deciding where to invest need a regulatory environment that is predictable and open to global cooperation. 

The European Commission’s work on the Biotech Act and the targeted revision of the Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostics Regulations (MDR/IVDR) offers an opportunity to improve that environment. Both files can help make Europe a stronger location for life sciences investment. 

The EU should use this moment to build a framework that keeps pace with scientific progress. That means faster and clearer procedures. It also means better use of data and intellectual property rules that recognise the realities of global supply chains.