They ask once again for "the elimination of the rule on generic medicines introduced with the decree law on liberalisations, because it affects the country's industrial plant and discriminates against only one sector". And they complain "as according to a recent survey by Prometeia, an association that elaborates forecasts on the Italian and international economy, the profitability of pharmaceutical companies in Italy is 30% lower than the European average".

The president of Farmindustria, Massimo Scaccabarozzi, promotes the intolerance of the entire pharmaceutical sector." The data on profitability - explains Scaccabarozzi to Pharmakronos - is the result of policies that have always been penalizing towards our sector. And the recent law on generic drugs is proof of this. This country - warns the president of the drug manufacturers - limits access to innovation, which arrives 2-3 years later than in other countries.

If we think that the first stimulus to industrial development is precisely innovation, in Italy the companies that have made it a goal do not get the same treatment. In fact, many of the political decisions affect this productive part.

As Farmindustria – Scaccabarozzi reiterates – we are against any form of discrimination or favouritism. And the rule envisaged by the liberalisations, stating that the 'branded' generic product has no right to be considered equivalent, effectively discriminates against only a part of the sector".

Francesco Maggi – February 17, 2012 – PharmaKronos

Farmindustria: aligning prices with generics is a free choice

Aligning the price of branded medicines with their generic counterparts «is part of the free choice of the market». This was stated by Daniel Lapeyre, president of Sanofi and vice president of Farmindustria, commenting on the declarations of the Minister of Health, Renato Balduzzi, during the question time in the Chamber. "Generic drugs already have the lowest prices in Europe," added Lapeyre, "so there's no margin for lowering them." While, on the other hand, the possibility that the price of the original medicinal products will fall "is part of the free choice of the market, it will be the market that will have to be formed"