International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

• According to the 2024 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, the company once again ranks first, allocating 61.3% of its sales revenue to research and development. • PharmaMar also holds the second position in Spain in terms of R&D investment per employee. PharmaMar (MSE:PHM)—a global leader in the research, development, and commercialization of marine-derived oncology therapies—has once again seen itself as the Spanish company that invests the most in Research and Development (R&D) in relation to its sales, allocating 61.3% of its revenues to this activity. This figure, almost three times higher than that of the next company in the ranking, represents a 19% increase compared to the previous year and consolidates more than a decade of leadership in this classification. The report also ranks PharmaMar as the second company in Spain in terms of R&D investment per employee, with over €190,000 each, and as the second-largest R&D investor in the Spanish pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector, with €97 million. In absolute terms, PharmaMar has climbed from position 284 to 258 in the EU private sector R&D investment ranking, while globally, it has risen 254 places, reaching 1,576. At a global level, according to the Facts and Figures 2024 report by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA)[i], the pharmaceutical industry allocates an average of 30% of its revenue to R&D, positioning PharmaMar well above the sector's global average. R&D investment in cancer research Ahead of the World Cancer Day, which will be observed on February 4th, PharmaMar reaffirms its commitment to oncology research, its main strategic focus. In 2023, the company allocated €83.6 million to R&D in oncology, representing 86.2% of its total R&D investment. Additionally, PharmaMar reinvested more than 50% of the revenue generated by this area back into research, a commitment that continues to position the Spanish biotechnology group as the leader in R&D investment relative to its sales. "Leading the European R&D investment ranking for over a decade is both an honor and a responsibility. We firmly believe that the only way to fight cancer is through a strong commitment to research. That is why at PharmaMar, we dedicate all possible resources to developing new therapies that can truly make a difference in patients' lives. Since our inception, we have invested more than €1 billion in R&D. In 2023 alone, we increased our R&D investment by 19%, and in oncology specifically, by 22.8%," said Luis Mora, General Director of PharmaMar. Because what is not researched today will not become a treatment option for patients tomorrow, PharmaMar has developed innovative oncology therapies for Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Multiple Myeloma, and Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Thanks to its research efforts and its marine-based therapeutic platform, the Company has achieved a 37.5% success rate in its investigations, far exceeding the 10.8% industry average[ii]. Of the eight compounds that have reached clinical trials, three have been approved, demonstrating the impact of its commitment to innovation. Additionally, PharmaMar remains deeply committed to researching treatments for rare diseases, with 22 orphan drug designations currently in place worldwide. [i] IFPMA. (2024, 4 diciembre). #AlwaysInnovating: Pharmaceutical Industry Facts & Figures | IFPMA. https://www.ifpma.org/publications/alwaysinnovating-pharmaceutical-industry-facts-figures/ [ii] Global Trends in R&D 2024: Activity, productivity, and enablers. (s. f.). IQVIA. https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports-and-publications/reports/global-trends-in-r-and-d-2024-activity-productivity-and-enablers

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is calling on global pharmaceutical leaders to get behind proposals laid out in a World Health Organization-led global pandemic preparedness agreement that’s nearing completion. On Thursday, Sanders wrote to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, a global industry group led by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and David Reddy, the group’s director general. Sanders, who helms the Senate HELP Committee and has made pressuring drugmakers a cornerstone of his political and policy efforts, urged the group to do more to make sure treatments are accessible. You’ll get access to free articles each month, plus you can customize what newsletters get delivered to your inbox each week, including breaking news.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking at a panel discussing how healthcare systems should prepare for “Disease X”, at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) being held in Davos. Image credit: GettyImages/Bloomberg. “Narrow national interest should not come in the way” of fighting against the next big public health threat, says World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The WHO chief was talking at a panel discussing how healthcare systems should prepare for “Disease X”, at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) being held in Davos. Disease X refers to the next international epidemic caused by an unknown pathogen. The term was created by the WHO in 2018 to help facilitate sufficient planning and preparedness to sustain public health in the face of the next big viral threat. Disease X is on the WHO’s priority disease list alongside diseases such as Zika, Covid-19, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease. The priority list is meant to direct global investment and intensify research and development (R&D) in those areas. “We have to convert all the lessons we have learned into this [next] pandemic and prepare the world for the future because this is a common global interest,” Ghebreyesus said. Ghebreyesus’ main message was that of addressing equity and ensuring collaboration to fight “a common enemy.” Covid-19 vaccine inequity is difficult to ignore – during the first seven months of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, more than 80% of the doses were concentrated in high and upper-middle income countries. The WHO chief reiterated the importance of The Pandemic Treaty – an international agreement that would bring countries together to fight Disease X and any other future pandemics. “Many high-income countries were hoarding vaccines [during the Covid-19 pandemic] and low-income countries were not getting vaccines. Access was a problem.” The treaty is known also as The Pandemic Agreement or Accords and countries have until May 2024 to join. “I hope [The Pandemic Agreement] will be delivered by that time. If this generation cannot do it, who have first-hand experience, I don’t think the next generation will.” It will not be an easy road to securing a substantial amount of WHO member country signatures. Officials have been negotiating  the terms for over a year. There is a clear divide in the US, for example, where the opposition Republican party has been openly against the agreement – saying the WHO would acquire additional power.  The outcome of the upcoming presidential election in 2024 will likely have implications for the US stance on the treaty. The international non-profit Human Rights Watch has also called on the member states to push for commitments to protect core human rights in the agreement. Pharma companies have been wary of the treaty and its stance on allowing intellectual property waivers when applicable. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) said in a statement that this approach to inducing equity would conversely lead to innovation pipelines being stalled. Ghebreyesus has previously called out critics of the pandemic accords and highlighted the role of “vested interests” in driving this disapproval. The WHO has already taken several steps to build a framework in place to tackle the next unknown pathogen. In 2022, the organisation helped set up The Pandemic Fund with the World Bank to enhance preparedness in low- and middle-income countries. In a further bid to address health inequity seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, an mRNA technology transfer hub has been set up in South Africa to increase local production. Virus surveillance and early warning systems are also being advanced. Research indicates that Covid-19 would have caused 40 million more deaths in the absence of preventative measures. “The key is the capacity we build in each and every country. We’re as strong as the weakest link,” Dr Tedros added. AstraZeneca ’s chairman Michel Demaré, Philips’ CEO Roy Jakobs, Apollo Hospitals’ vice chairperson Preetha Reddy, and Brazil’s health minister Nisia Trindade Lima were also on the panel.