Michel Eschenbrenner, Servier Pharma: A pressing need to improve patients' access to treatments in Romania

On the first day of Foreign Investors Summit 2023, Michel Eschenbrenner, CEO at Servier Pharma, delved into Servier’s story, navigating through the complexities of the pharmaceutical landscape, including market challenges and the quest for improved drug access in Romania.

“We are a company that has invested significantly. In fact, we transitioned from a representative office to a distribution and promotion company, establishing two entities in Romania. Our team, comprised of approximately 280 professionals, mainly doctors and pharmacists, is our strength. We invest heavily in our collaborators, many of whom have advanced within our group, sharing their value with other affiliates and primarily with our headquarters. Over the past 30 years, we’ve made substantial investments, especially in education and clinical trials, maintaining strong connections with professors and the Academy of Science in Romania and internationally, particularly in multicentric clinical trials, to ensure visibility in Romania.

Servier’s main achievement lies in our tailored portfolio, spanning hypertension, cardiology, and diabetology, treating roughly 2 million patients per month. Our commitment to providing quality services and ensuring the availability of our products is a source of pride. In the pharmaceutical environment, resilience is key, and Servier, being a foundation, stands out in this aspect.

As a foundation, we have no shareholders. This means we are under less immediate pressure, allowing us to focus on mid-term and long-term perspectives. However, the Romanian market presents challenges, especially in terms of pricing and taxes.

We face the lowest prices across 12 reference countries in Europe. With these low prices comes the clawback tax, which ranges from 15 to 25 percent, paid back on the value of reimbursements to the state.

In Romania, the GDP percentage for drugs is 5 to 6 percent, compared to the European average of 9 to 10 percent. Hence, there’s significant scope to enhance the availability of innovative treatments for patients.

We have recently launched oncology products, marking a positive trend. The authorities have allocated specific budgets to ensure patients can receive treatment within the country, eliminating the need for travel. This is a commendable step, but more efforts are needed. In terms of market access, the average registration time for new drugs in Europe is 500 days. In Germany, it’s 160 days, but in Romania, it extends to around 900 days, placing us at the lower end of the European ranking. Consequently, patients face extended waits for innovative treatments and often struggle to find registered products.

Despite our efforts to import a significant volume, the availability within the country remains insufficient. Therefore, there is a pressing need to improve access and enable patients to receive treatments in Romania.”