Pharmaceutical Industry Calls on G7 to Make Innovation a Strategic Economic Priority Ahead of Evian Summit
核心洞察
The IFPMA (搜索) and Leem (搜索) urge G7 leaders to place pharmaceutical innovation at the center of their economic and competitiveness agenda ahead of the 2026 G7 Leaders' Summit in Evian.
The innovative pharmaceutical industry contributed $2.3 trillion to global GDP in 2022, with nearly half originating from G7 countries, and directly employed 7.8 million people.
More than 12,700 medicines are currently in development, with over 350–400 expected to launch by 2030, offering significant opportunities to address chronic diseases (搜索) and future health threats.
Ahead of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Evian next week, the global pharmaceutical industry is making an urgent case: pharmaceutical innovation must become a central pillar of economic strategy. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA (搜索)) and Les Entreprises du Médicament (Leem (搜索)), the trade organization representing pharmaceutical companies operating in France, have issued a joint call for G7 leaders to prioritize innovative medicines and vaccines as drivers of competitiveness, resilience, and long-term growth.
The call comes at the conclusion of the "B7 Summit" in Paris, where global business leaders identified health innovation as a finance priority and a central determinant of competitiveness, macroeconomic stability, and economic security. Under the 2026 G7 French Presidency, there has been increased recognition that the pharmaceutical sector is crucial to providing a strategic response to multiple challenges G7 economies face — from correcting global imbalances to strengthening economic resilience and driving sustainable long-term growth.
Three Priorities for G7 Leaders
IFPMA (搜索) and Leem (搜索) have outlined three specific priorities for G7 leaders to consider. First, they call for sustained investment in innovative medicines and vaccines, emphasizing that these are investments delivering significant multiplier effects for economies and societies. "Sustained innovation requires competitive markets that attract, value, and reward innovation," the organizations stated, adding that policies must reflect the full health, economic, and societal value these innovations generate.
Second, the industry bodies urge G7 nations to prioritize the innovative pharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector central to long-term growth, competitiveness, and resilience. The sector supports millions of high-value jobs in G7 countries and generates long-term economic returns. "A globally competitive pharmaceutical industry must remain a cornerstone of the G7," the statement reads.
Third, the organizations stress that G7 leadership in pharmaceutical innovation is not inherited and requires deliberate, forward-looking strategy. As global competition intensifies, the G7 must prioritize global leadership in what they describe as the world's most R&D-intensive sector, which drives progress far beyond health, extending into data and digital domains.
The Economic Case for Pharmaceutical Innovation
The economic significance of the pharmaceutical sector is substantial. In 2022, the industry contributed $2.3 trillion to global GDP, including direct and spillover effects, with nearly half originating from G7 countries. For every $1 of GDP directly generated by the industry, an additional $2.04 in value is created along the global supply chain. The sector directly employed 7.8 million people that year, more than one million of them in R&D roles — the kind of high-skill, high-wage positions that anchor national competitiveness.
The pharmaceutical industry stands as the world's most research-intensive sector, channeling nearly one-third of gross value back into R&D — a rate that surpasses electronics (23.5%), aerospace (14.7%), and advanced manufacturing (8.4%).
Demographic Pressures and Workforce Resilience
These contributions carry particular weight as G7 economies confront deepening demographic pressures. People aged 55–69 already account for 20–30% of the workforce across most OECD countries, and chronic illnesses significantly hamper participation — workforce participation among those aged 50–64 falls from 72% for healthy individuals to just 40% for those managing two conditions.
Innovative medicines and vaccines serve as a key pillar of workforce resilience, helping to keep experienced workers active, productive, and engaged for longer. The appropriate, early use of innovative medicines also reduces unnecessary hospitalizations, slows disease progression, and limits long-term care costs. Every €1 invested in prevention generates up to €14 in health and social returns, and adult immunization programs deliver benefits up to 19 times their initial investment.
A Promising Pipeline
Looking ahead, the pharmaceutical pipeline signals exceptional opportunity. More than 12,700 medicines are currently in development, with over 350–400 expected to launch by 2030 — advances that will reduce the scale, cost, and frequency of future health challenges. The probability of a pandemic in the next 25 years stands at 47–57%, while chronic diseases (搜索) already account for roughly 75% of all global deaths and will cost over $30 trillion in economic losses.
Leadership Perspectives
IFPMA (搜索) Director General Dr. David Reddy emphasized the broader impact of pharmaceutical innovation: "Innovative medicines and vaccines not only transform lives, but deliver resilient health care systems, stronger economies and are central to the G7's competitiveness. As G7 leaders meet in Evian next week, it is critical that those governments reflect on what action they need to take to secure future innovation and life sciences leadership."
Dr. Reddy added that engaging with the industry as a strategic partner and investing in medical innovation is essential to tackle challenges "from ageing populations to the rise of chronic diseases (搜索) or tackling future global health threats."
Leem (搜索) President Jean-François Brochard reinforced the call for concrete action: "G7 leaders have the opportunity to send a strong signal to the world: choose to make health a strategic priority at the heart of their economic policies. Concrete G7 action means investing in innovation and ensuring sustainable access to therapeutic advances for patients."
Brochard further stated: "Our sector is ready to commit fully alongside the authorities to accelerate this momentum — from clinical research to access to innovation, via security of supply and industrial attractiveness — with a simple conviction: the future of our healthcare systems is being built today, through ambitious and collective choices."
A Strategic Moment
The 2026 French presidency of the G7 presents what IFPMA (搜索) describes as a timely opportunity to affirm innovative medicines and vaccines as drivers of economic security. G7 nations bring a unique combination of historic leadership, world-class scientific infrastructure, and deep policy experience to shape the next era of pharmaceutical innovation. As global competition for innovation intensifies, the message from industry is clear: partnership between governments and industry is essential if the G7 is to continue attracting investment and advancing innovation.