SOUNDS OF SCIENCE PODCAST EPISODE #21 – EU Biotech Act: How to ensure the biopharmaceutical sector thrives in the EU

Sounds of Science  – episode 21 – EU Biotech Act: How to ensure the biopharmaceutical sector thrives in the EU

The EU Biotech Act is one of the priorities of the current Commission’s legislative mandate. Following the European Commission’s Communication on boosting biotechnology and biomanufacturing in March 2024, this priority was reaffirmed in the EU Competitiveness Compass in January 2025. The Biotech Act, expected to be published in 2026, aims to create a forward-looking framework to foster innovation in areas such as health technology assessment, clinical trials, and the broader economic potential of biotechnology.

In this episode, we explore our expectations for the future of the biopharmaceutical sector and share key recommendations for strengthening it.

Our guests are :
Johanna Grames, AOP Health – Team Lead, Int. Gov. Affairs and Patient Advocacy at AOP

Erwan Gicquel, Miltenyi Biomedicine – Government Affairs Lead, Europe at Miltenyi Biomedicine

Moderated by Stefano Romanelli, EUCOPE’s Senior Government Affairs Manager, the discussion covers:

• Why red biotech matters
• Recommendations for the EU Biotech Act, including initiatives needed to address current challenges and unlock the sector’s full potential
• The need to ensure consistency between the upcoming EU Biotech Act and the broader EU legislative framework

Episode Highlights

Johanna Grames, AOP Health

“Our health systems need to learn to treat healthcare and pharmaceutical spending as long-term investments rather than costs.
Let’s not think in silos – let the budgets communicate- healthier societies need less care, less additional health problems, more work force, more taxes, more engagement in society.
A flourishing biotech ecosystem is not only bringing health to people, but also jobs and wealth in a future-proof industry. We are ready to enhance this in Europe!”

Erwan Gicquel, Miltenyi Biomedicine

“When thinking about the resilience of the supply chain and independence from third countries. Europe will need to increase not only financial but also regulatory support to incentivize and establish or expand production sites for biopharmaceutical companies in Europe. If we want to be able to compete with companies in China or the US, we will need to speed up the transition of early developments through more and easier access to public and private funding.”

Listen to the episode :

Spotify

YouTube

You may find previous episodes here.

Want to learn more about EUCOPE’s work on the Biotech Act? Explore our related publications here.