French Bio– tech review
A review of the French biotechnology industry ordered by finance minister Laurent Fabius is unlikely to bring short term changes to the country's fledgling life sciences industry, but its aggressive tone could signal a turning point for a sector with much promise.
A working group presented an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the biotech industry, which deplored the country's lagging position in life sciences, and called for new financing and regulatory vehicles to accelerate the industry's growth.
'A key weakness in the French industry is a lack of synergy between the public and private sectors,' said Noelle Lenoir, leader of the working group.
The consortium has proposed a number of measures, the most immediate of which suggests raising funds earmarked for r&d to 3% of GDP before 2010, including 2% from the private sector, from 1.92% today.
Other proposals include boosting the idea of private/public partnerships, stronger patent protection laws and tax breaks for biotech start-ups.
It also called for a wider debate on French pharmaceutical pricing, which factors in the cost of innovation.
Few of the proposals will be addressed before the French elections, but the drugs pricing debate is likely to advance this autumn.
For some time, the large pharmaceutical companies have pushed France for more flexible drug approval and pricing laws.