NORDIC PHARMACEUTICALS FORUM JOINS EU CRITICAL MEDICINES ALLIANCE

The medicines market is both global and fragile. And both short and longer supply failures are increasing. These challenges are very difficult to resolve for a single country, and even more difficult for a small market such as the Nordic countries, where it is harder to attract suppliers.

Therefore, almost ten years ago, the Nordic countries decided to join forces and establish the Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum. The Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum has launched initiatives to make it more attractive to supply the Nordic market, including joint Nordic tendering procedures.

Most recently, through Amgros and Sykehusinnkjøp, the Forum has managed to get a place in the European Commission's Critical Medicines Alliance.

The Alliance and its members advise the Commission and other EU policy makers about the supply of critical medicines, and how we together can improve it.

- The Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum has every reason to be proud to have been offered a place in the European Commission's Critical Medicines Alliance. It confirms that our efforts to secure supplies are also interesting for the other countries. Despite our efforts, across all Nordic countries we're seeing challenges with regard to security of supply. For this reason, I'm delighted that the EU has put more focus on the challenge, because there's a lot to gain by collaborating across borders and sectors, said Flemming Sonne, Chairman of the Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum and CEO at Amgros I/S.

Cooperation in the Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum includes everything from joint tendering procedures and environmental criteria, to joint price negotiations for new medicines and knowledge-sharing about Horizon Scanning. Many joint activities over the years have contributed to the very successful collaboration for medicines between the Nordic countries. 

- The Nordic Pharmaceuticals Forum has many different initiatives to enhance security of supply. The joint Nordic tendering procedures are one of our flagships. The many initiatives and experience from our collaboration all mean that the Nordics are on their way to becoming the most integrated region in Europe within medicines. Therefore, I'm also convinced that we have a lot to offer the European Commission's new Critical Medicines Alliance," said Tommy Juhl Nielsen, Divisional Director, Pharma Division, at Sykehusinnkjøp HF in Norway.
The European Commission will launch the Critical Medicines Alliance on 25 April.

The Critical Medicines Alliance has been tasked to advise the Commission and other EU policy makers about the supply of critical medicines, and how this can be improved.

The Alliance will focus on identifying industrial challenges and determining the most appropriate procedures and tools to effectively tackle vulnerabilities in supply chains for critical medicines. 

Recommendations will focus in particular on mitigating structural risks, reinforcing supply by making demand more predictable, encouraging diversification, and boosting manufacturing.

As such, the Alliance will play a key role in bolstering industrial competitiveness in the EU and strengthening its open strategic autonomy, in the best interest of EU citizens.