Inside EU Health: EFPIA raises its CMA concerns; Élysée dismisses Trump 'Fake News'; EU funds €147 million for health research and investment in Africa
EFPIA raises its CMA concerns; Élysée dismisses Trump’s Davos claim on medicine prices as 'Fake News'; EU funds €147 million for health research and investment in Africa
EFPIA warns Critical Medicines Act risks turning emergency compounding into backdoor manufacturing
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which represents some of the largest pharma players, including those headquartered outside the EU, has again raised concerns about the European Parliament's position on the Critical Medicines Act.
Among its sharper criticisms is the Parliament’s decision to include compounding within the scope of measures for possible strategic projects aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity.
EFPIA says this as a patient-safety issue. Compounding, where hospitals or companies adjust, mix, or combine ingredients to meet unmet needs, is usually meant to be ad hoc and exceptional. Folding it into industrial resilience tools, EFPIA argues, risks enabling broader use of unlicensed products.
Industry's concern is not hypothetical. In the United States, compounding pharmacies have stepped in to address shortages of GLP-1 medicines, significantly undercutting the branded versions. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly - both EFPIA members - have warned that such practices undermine regulatory standards and trust.
Élysée dismisses Trump’s Davos claim on medicine prices as 'Fake News'
After comments by Donald Trump at World Economic Forum in Davos, claiming he pressured President Macron to raise the price of a medicine by threatening “100% tariffs on your wines and champagnes,” the French presidency pushed back. The Élysée Palace dismissed the account as “Fake News,” denying any price increase and rejecting the suggestion that trade threats influenced French health policy.
It’s being claimed that President @EmmanuelMacron increased the price of medicines.
— Élysée (@Elysee) January 21, 2026
He does not set their prices. They are regulated by the social security system and have, in fact, remained stable. Anyone who has set foot in a French pharmacy knows this. pic.twitter.com/xoNrhkKyUP
EU funds €147 million for health research and investment in Africa
Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3) has launched its 2026 work programme, committing up to €147 million to research and innovation projects focused on sub-Saharan Africa.
The European-African partnership supports work addressing major global health challenges, including tuberculosis, lower respiratory tract infections, HIV, and climate-change-driven infectious diseases, among other priority areas.
“At a time when global funding is under increasing pressure, Global Health EDCTP3 continues to invest in research and innovation for those who need it most,” said Global Health EDCTP3 Executive Director Dr Michael Makanga. “Sustained collective effort is essential to address the multiple challenges that infectious diseases continue to pose to global health security. I am deeply grateful to the European Union, our contributing partners, and member countries for supporting us in this endeavour.”
The programme funds clinical trials and studies, provides training for researchers, and strengthens the region's clinical research ecosystem.
“The 2026 Work Programme sends a strong signal that Global Health EDCTP3 is a reliable partner in global health,” said Vice-Chair of the Global Health EDCTP3 Governing Board Dr Henning Gädeke.