Three new Associate Members join in 2023

The European Confederation of Pharmaceuticals Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE) announced the joining of three (3) new Associate members on 1 January 2023.

The new members joining EUCOPE network are: APCO Worldwide, RareLab and SKC.

During the announcement, EUCOPE’s Secretary General Alexander Natz said, “The new year means new collaborations and partnerships so we’re delighted to add these three wonderful organisations to our network to add their expertise and experience in our discussions to get a more robust and predictable framework for the orphan drug and ATMP space. We look forward to greater collaboration and new conversations that will assist all of our small and mid-sized members navigate this ever-changing European landscape of product launches and market access.”

About the new members

APCO Worldwide

As part of the world’s largest independent, majority women-owned advisory and advocacy consultancy​, APCO Worldwide’s Health Practice partners with health, life sciences and medtech companies to develop and execute effective, integrated communications and public affairs strategies to support the launch of innovative therapies. Their services and almost 40 years of experience underpin successful market access strategies. Clients hire APCO to help them pre-empt and overcome the typical barriers that impede reimbursement and rapid patient access, and they appreciate our first-hand knowledge of ATMPs and the rare diseases space.

Christoph Mielke, Deputy Managing Director & European Health Lead at APCO Worldwide, said, “We are excited to join one of the foremost trade associations working on the next era of health innovations—such as cell and gene therapies—and actively contributing to the work of EUCOPE and its members in critical policy and regulatory areas. At a time when the EU looks set to redefine the innovation landscape for decades to come, making the transition from scientific advancement to commercialization can be a rocky path and the place where many otherwise promising treatments and therapies run aground, especially in the EU. We look forward to supporting the efforts of this innovative industry in delivering for patients.”

RareLab

RareLab is the only laboratory of ideas dedicated to the world of rare diseases. A strategic consulting company and communication services, publishing, conferences and training events, Patient Advocacy, Market Access and Public Affairs. RareLab is a young and dynamic reality, made up of people. Our professional path in the service of patients starts a long time ago. RareLab is in fact the publishing company of: OMaR Observatory for Rare Diseases, the first and only news agency, in Italy and in Europe, dedicated to rare diseases and rare cancers, founded in 2010 by Ilaria Ciancaleoni Bartoli and OTA Advanced Therapy Observatory, the first and only newspaper and dissemination initiative dedicated to ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products).

Regarding EUCOPE Membership, Silvia Bartoli, Business Strategy Lead said: “We have the pleasure of joining EUCOPE because we find ourselves in-sync the founding principles of the Association, including that of supporting patients’ access to orphan drugs and Advanced Therapies. We believe in the strength of collaboration between multiple European stakeholders, public, private, profit and non-profit, and we believe that dialogue and effective collaboration can bring important benefits for patients, for health systems and for the various entities involved in the field of health.”

SKC (Schonermark Kielhorn Collegen)

SKC is a strategic consultancy focused on the increasingly challenging market access environment of innovative drug products. They support the successful market access both on a strategic and an operational level. For more than 15 years, their highly experienced team has been supporting our clients in solving their strategically complex questions.

Regarding membership, Lynn Bordt, Business Development Manager said, “SKC is delighted and proud to join EUCOPE and is looking forward to many insightful workshops, fruitful discussions, and a cooperative knowledge transfer! We are confident to enrich EUCOPE with our expertise on market access & reimbursement in Germany – in particular for Orphan Drugs and ATMPs – and are concurrently convinced to mutually benefit from the newly formed connection in an outstanding network. Especially with the implementation of the European HTA regulation around the corner, we feel that EUCOPE provides an excellent opportunity to actively collaborate, to speak with one unified voice of health technology developers and overall strengthens the innovation of new health technologies.”

EUCOPE is elated to have these companies join the network and looks forward to greater collaboration and a renewed spirit in its continued quest to drive innovation for life sciences in Europe.