On the sidelines of the presentation of the 58th symposium of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association scheduled in Rimini next week, the president of Farmindustria Massimo Scaccabarozzi hopes for the resumption of dialogue with the institutions after the political paralysis of recent months
The Italian drug industry wants to continue growing. Possibly together with the country to which, especially in recent years, it has given a big hand in getting out of the economic crisis. This was stated today in Milan by the president of Farmindustria Massimo Scaccabarozzi during the press conference to present the 58th symposium of the Pharmaceutical Industry Association (AFI)scheduled in Rimini from 6 to 8 June. The program – illustrated by the vice president Giorgio Bruno – is very rich and this year it focuses on the transformations of the pharmaceutical sector in the digital age.
Farmindustria's invitation
“Beyond the wish that as an Italian I address to the new government and to the new health minister Giulia Grillo (read the interview published on AboutPharma) – added Scaccabarozzi – as an industrialist I am neither happy nor unhappy: it is not up to our organization to 'choose' the institutions but we certainly have a duty to show them what we can do for the country. If we want to bring Italy back to growth, dialogue between the parties is mandatory and must be without prejudice. I remind everyone that if the Italian GDP has returned to positive after years of crisis it is due to the car industry and to us. Between 2010 and 2017, when the Italian GDP was -1%, our production was +20%. We have brought the country out of the crisis. As always, we will give our contribution to explain how to increase GDP, production, employment, investments and facilitate access to innovative medicines".
Without Europe it is not possible
Scaccabarozzi shows no fear of the anti-EU regurgitations that up to now have punctuated the declarations (not yet the actions) of the majority who jumped out of the polls. “Today more than ever we must be pro-European. Pharmaceutical companies, even those with capital
Italian, are highly internationalized companies. We export the 77% of our production all over the world and if someone wanted to wipe out our sector, they would really have to leave the euro area. It seems to me that the government is no longer of that idea. If the Italians actually wanted it, they would assume full responsibility…”.
The drug is a strategic asset
The hope, however, is to continue the good relationship that existed with the previous government (a little less with those before). The president of Farmindustria adds: “Until 2013, our sector was regularly subjected to cuts and cost containment measures. It was not possible to make industrial plans and we lost 20,000 jobs. The stability of the last four years, the certainty of the rules, have restored confidence to investors who have injected 2.8 billion euros into the sector. Employment has also risen and every year about 6,000 qualified workers enter, mainly young people”.
That the pharmaceutical industry is a strategic asset for Italy is confirmed by the numbers confirmed in Milan by both Scaccabarozzi and Bruno (in turn president of the Third party group of Farmindustria). The production is worth 31 billion euros, to which are added about 14 of related industries. Companies donate 16-17% in taxes and contributions and Italy is the first European country for investments by US-owned industry and the second for German ones. There are 65,000 employees plus another 66,000 from related industries. Scaccabarozzi concludes: “If we add the entire supply chain and pharmacists, we arrive at 228,000 people. Basically an army."
