The biggest overhaul of existing medical laws in two decades is aimed at ensuring all Europeans have access to both innovative new treatments and generic drugs, and ending huge divergences in access and price between countries, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told reporters after publication.earlier this month, except for details of changes to protections before generic versions of drugs enter the market.
But it also offers a sweetener for companies: they get two more years of protection if they launch their new medicines in all 27 member states within two years. Patient and consumer groups generally cheered the proposals. The European Public Health Alliance called them "a great win for people across the EU" because of the changes to what it sees as a too-generous incentives system for industry.