The increase in lifestyle and ageing-associated diseases that has paralleled a rise in drug development costs along with the financial constraints of the global economy is putting enormous pressure on the sustainability of healthcare systems.
If Jane Austen was writing in the early 21st century in Europe, she could well have begun one of her novels with: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a country in possession of a biotech sector, must be in want of a pharma company.
The societal and economic challenges facing Europe and the world are complex and interconnected. The Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe”, which was adopted by the European Commission on 13 February 2012, offers a unique approach to addressing these challenges in a comprehensive way.