Finance
European Health Chief Says EU Must Flex Regional Muscle to Ensure Drug Access
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 22, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 22, 2026
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EMA chief Emer Cooke warns that new US drug‐pricing policies have led to a sharp drop in European drug launches, urging EU-wide tools—including joined‐up negotiation and collective procurement—to safeguard patient access. Weight‑loss drug reviews are imminent.
EU Must Flex Regional Muscle to Guarantee Access to New Pharmaceuticals
Challenges and Strategies for Pharmaceutical Access in the EU
By Maggie Fick
Current State of Drug Launches in Europe
BARCELONA, April 22 (Reuters) - European Union authorities need a broader remit to secure access to newly approved drugs, including collective procurement negotiations for several countries, the head of European Medicines Agency Emer Cooke said on Wednesday.
The number of drug launches in Europe has fallen sharply, potentially, hindering patient access to some of the latest medicines, since U.S. President Donald Trump last May introduced a new U.S. drug pricing policy.
Impact of U.S. Drug Pricing Policy
"I think we're at a very critical point at the moment," Cooke told the Reuters Pharma Europe 2026 event in Barcelona, Spain.
"Everybody's struggling with what the impacts of the U.S. policy on pricing will be. And that's not just on pricing, it's on where you do your clinical trials, where you market, where you launch."
The EU's Position in the Global Pharmaceutical Market
Europe is the second biggest market for pharmaceuticals and has universal healthcare, putting it in a "very strong place in terms of access" overall, Cooke noted, while urging a more joined-up European approach.
Calls for a Unified European Approach
Cooke also said in the interview that the EU regulatory review of the first of a new generation of weight-loss pills would be concluded "very soon", indicating it would be in the coming weeks or months ahead of the northern hemisphere summer when institutional decision-making generally slows.
Upcoming Pharmaceutical Approvals
Two new oral drugs by Eli Lilly's LLY.N and rival Novo Nordisk have been cleared for a U.S. launch this year.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Adam Jourdan)
Key Takeaways
- •New US reference‑pricing policies since May 2025 have caused a roughly 35% decline in new drug launches in Europe compared to the prior 10 months (krro.com).
- •Europe lags the US in innovation: only 15.8% of new medicines launched between 2019–2023 were in Europe versus 66.9% in the US (efpia.eu).
- •Less than half (46%) of centrally approved innovative medicines were available to EU patients in 2024, and only 29% were fully reimbursed (efpia.eu).
References
Frequently Asked Questions about European health chief says EU must flex regional muscle to ensure drug access
1Why has access to new drugs in Europe decreased?
Access has declined due to fewer drug launches, partly influenced by new U.S. drug pricing policies.
2What solution does the European Medicines Agency propose for drug access?
The EMA suggests the EU should adopt a more collective procurement approach across countries.
3How does the U.S. drug pricing policy impact Europe?
It affects drug pricing strategies, clinical trial locations, and the markets in which companies launch new medicines.
4Which new drugs are expected to be reviewed soon by the EU?
The EU is set to review the first of a new generation of weight-loss pills, including those from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
