The counterfeit drug market represents a shortfall of 10 billion euros for European pharmaceutical companies, according to a report.
Counterfeit medicines, a scourge from all points of view. Economically, the market for counterfeit medicines has a particularly high impact. According to a report of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) published on Thursday, the shortfall for the pharmaceutical industry amounts to 10.2 billion euros in the European Union.
This shortfall represents 4.4% of legal sales in the pharmaceutical sector in Europe, according to the report. Italy is particularly affected by the phenomenon, with an economic cost of 1.59 billion euros per year, ahead of Spain, Germany and France, with around 1 billion euros of losses for each of these markets.
38,000 jobs lost
Counterfeit drugs would also be at the origin of the loss of 38,000 direct jobs in the sector, including 3000 to 4000 for France. “The legitimate industry selling less products than it would have sold in the absence counterfeit, it also employs fewer workers, ”the report continues.
The resulting drop in legitimate economic activity also translates into a loss of 1.7 billion euros per year for public revenue in the EU, according to the report’s authors, who took into account the taxes on household income, Social Security contributions and taxes on corporate profits.
More profitable than drugs
The report was welcomed by the European Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFPIA), which reiterated its call to improve the traceability of medicines, strengthen sanctions against traffickers and raise awareness among patients of the risks to which they are exposed. by taking counterfeit medicines.
The booming counterfeit drug market is a lucrative business. Sales worldwide reached $ 75 billion in 2010, almost twice as much as in 2005. This market would thus exceed that of drugs.
Find the program L’invité santé by Pourquoidocteur with
Wilfrid Rogé (International Institute for Anti-counterfeit Medicines Research)
broadcast on June 22, 2016
.