Donald Trump has threatened to impose new customs duties, up to 250% on medicines imported into the United States, especially from Europe, in a logic “America First”. This could slow down or increase the arrival of innovative treatments from the United States, which are often pioneers in therapies for serious illnesses.
Today, in Belgium, some patients must wait several months before they can benefit from a new medication. This delay deemed too long, sometimes fatal, will therefore be considerably reduced thanks to the “Early and Fast Equitable Access” procedure in January. This initiative will allow faster reimbursement of innovative treatments, while guaranteeing the quality and safety of products.
Compared, the American market is much faster: a drug can be marketed there two to three times faster than in Europe. This speed of access makes the United States particularly attractive for pharmaceutical firms. In Belgium, the situation is worrying: out of 37 European countries, it ranks only 15ᵉ in terms of the marketing time of drugs, behind neighbors such as France, Germany or even Bulgaria. For Belgium, there is still a lot to do.
This delay in the country’s attractiveness for investments in the pharmaceutical sector. Indeed, regulatory and commercial uncertainty has already frozen 50 billion euros in investments in Europe. The sector demands a reinforced European strategy to limit dependence on external markets and preserve innovation on the continent. However, this acceleration will not be at the expense of security. The European quality control system, recognized and rigorous, will remain in place. Treatments will always be subject to strict evaluation, guaranteeing the safety of patients, doctors and hospitals.
This is not a direct response to Trump, but this reform is very timely. It shows that Belgium wants to remain a strategic pharmacy hub in Europe, despite geopolitical uncertainties.
