Labrina Barmpetaki, President of PIF: “Innovation is the future of pharmaceutical policy.”
Pharmaceutical innovation took center stage at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum, with Pharma Innovation Forum (PIF) participating in the panel titled “Safeguarding Innovation, Fueling Growth and Social Prosperity.”
Representatives from the Goverment and the pharmaceutical industry — including the Minister of Health Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, the Non-Executive President of EOPYY and Chair of the Drug Price Negotiation Committee Ms. Vasiliki-Konstantina Gogozotou, the President of the Hellenic Cancer Federation Mr. Giorgos Kapetanakis — along with top executives from PIF and moderator Mr. Antonis Fourlis, highlighted the strategic importance of the protection and advancement of innovation to stimulate growth and foster social prosperity.
The discussions focused on the need for a collaborative model to ensure sustainability and growth in the healthcare sector, emphasizing the enhancement of innovation as a driving force for development and improved quality of life.
Ms. Labrina Barmpetaki, President of PIF and President of AbbVie, emphasized the need for a stable institutional framework that fosters pharmaceutical innovation.
She highlighted the importance of alignment with European best practices and the need to remove barriers that delay the introduction of new therapies: “Pharmaceutical innovation must not remain theoretical — the time has come for it to be implemented in practice. It represents the future of healthcare, our patients, and the economy.
However, for it to translate into tangible benefits for patients and have a meaningful impact on society, a comprehensive strategy is required, along with a stable healthcare system that supports collaboration and transparency.
Greece has the potential to become a regional hub of innovation, as long as we choose the path of dialogue, reform, and meaningful strategic investment in research and development.
We are here to co-shape solutions — with clear goals, timelines, and substance.”
Ms. Elena Chouliara, PIF Board Member and President of AstraZeneca Greece & Cyprus, referred to the impact of underfunding on pharmaceutical policy and the need for meaningful reforms that ensure access to innovation.
She emphasized the importance of foresight, reliability, and shared responsibility in the management of healthcare expenditure, and specifically stated: “Innovation is an investment.
Without commitments to adequate funding and real differentiation of innovative therapies, Greece will continue to fall behind.”
Mr. Kostas Papagiannis, President and Managing Director of Novartis Hellas, stated that Greece has the potential to evolve into a Data Innovation hub, provided that the appropriate institutional conditions are in place.
He emphasized: “Innovation is not limited to therapies.
It is also about how we leverage data.
With the right tools and bold alliances, we can build a healthcare system that prevents, predicts, and not just treats.”
During the Forum, and in the context of the panel discussion, Mr. Ioannis Kotsiopoulos, General Manager of PIF, stated: “ PhARMA Innovation Forum actively participates in the public dialogue with positions and proposals aimed at ensuring patients’ access to innovation.
Today, at the Delphi Forum, PIF members highlighted the need to formulate, in collaboration with the state, a coherent strategy that will restore normalcy to the pharmaceutical market.”
PhARMA Innovation Forum, representing 30 leading pharmaceutical companies, continues to consistently support the need for dialogue, institutional stability, and long-term planning for a healthcare system that meets the needs of society and rewards innovation.
