Optimism boost from Parliament: The European People’s Party lawmaker Dolors Montserrat, in charge of negotiating the pharmaceutical directive for the European Parliament, believes that “the slight difference of view in regard to the few points in the agenda will be smoothly solved … before the end of the year.”
A word from Danes: The Danes are going into the first actual political trilogue “in a very constructive atmosphere,” the Danish permrep spokesperson told Giedrė.
TUNE IN: Join us this afternoon at POLITICO’s Competitive Europe Summit, where we’ll be discussing tariffs, the pharma package and much more. Tune in from 4.40 p.m. where Mari will be talking to EFPIA’s Director General Nathalie Moll, Emmanuel Cormier, head of regulatory science at the European Medicines Agency, Gloria Ghéquière, deputy head of cabinet for Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke and Dean Summerfield, a senior vice president at the health data firm IQVIA where they’ll discuss Europe’s competitiveness problem. We’re also running a live blog.
MEANWHILE IN COPENHAGEN: Top industry executives are descending on the Danish capital city — home to pharma giant Novo Nordisk — today to press the EU’s political leadership to deliver on bold promises for a “competitive, strong, and secure” Europe, according to a near-final declaration obtained by Mathieu Pollet.
**A message from EFPIA: Cardiovascular disease remains Europe’s top killer, yet only 4% of recent clinical trials focus on it. Europe must act now to revert this trend.**
LOBBYISTS AND EXPERTS: World Health Organization members have eschewed pharma lobbyists in favor of scientists and academics to advise on the pandemic agreement, despite the EU’s nomination of industry reps.
Expertly curated: Officials circulated a list — obtained by Rory — of scientific experts who will be asked to advise on definitions ahead of next week’s negotiating session on the sharing of pathogen data and any resulting drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. The WHO told countries the list was “curated” from the names prepared by the country-appointed officials mediating the talks and those submitted by countries themselves. All 38 experts are already part of a WHO advisory group, committee or research center.