Pharmaceutical industry
Pharma Industry Finland supervises the interests of the Finland-based pharmaceutical industry. We want to ensure that Finland provides the PIF member companies with sustained and continuously developing operating conditions. This site contains plenty of information on the pharmaceutical branch.
PIF’s multifaceted membership base includes both small and large pharmaceutical companies. Some of them run an extensive product portfolio while others focus purely on research.
The work of Pharma Industry Finland and its member companies has a very clear division of labour.
The member companies focus on their core business:
- manufacture, importing and marketing of medicines
- pharmaceutical development
- filing and renewal of price and reimbursability applications
- pharmacovigilance, in other words collecting and analysing information on adverse events.
Pharma Industry Finland represents the joint voice of the pharmaceutical industry and influences the legislation on medicines, as well as the public image of the entire branch
- by producing information about the industry and issuing expert statements and opinions
- by collaborating with the authorities
- through lobbying and external communications.
A consistent part of medicines-related legislation is currently enacted at the EU level. Therefore, we also work with the European decision-makers.
The lifecycle of a medicine in the ambulatory care
Including the various trial steps, the development of a new medicine can take over ten years. The work starts at laboratories and continues through animal testing to clinical trials on humans. The research and trials generate the information on medicine safety and efficacy needed for the marketing authorisation.
A new medicine will not receive a marketing authorisation without the indispensable animal tests. The industry's objective is to reduce animal testing, using other methods instead, as well as to avoid causing pain to the test animals.
The marketing authorisations are granted by the Finnish Medicines Agency FIMEA or the European Medicines Agency EMA. The Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board PPB decides on the reimbursable price of the medicine. All these steps are required before the medicine is accessible to the patient and is reimbursed by the health insurance system.
Development of pharmacotherapies safeguarded through patent and regulatory data protection
The patent protects pharmaceutical innovations, encouraging inventors to develop new medicines. The patent on a novel medicine will remain in force for 20 years at most. Part of the protection period is taken up by the development stages preceding the medicine entering the market. Once the protection expires, generic forms of the medicine will appear on the market.
Until 1995, the Finnish patents only protected the manufacturing process of the medicines, not the pharmaceutical substances. Unlike the rest of Europe, Finland has allowed the launch of generic medicines manufactured using an alternative process during the validity of the patent.
Pharmaceutical branch is highly regulated
Working under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Medicines Agency FIMEA is the supervisory authority for medicine sales, marketing, safety, manufacturing and use. A well-functioning dialogue with the regulatory authority is important for the industry.
Read more about PIF’s collaboration with the authorities.
The members of Pharma Industry Finland are also committed to respecting the
Code of Ethics.pdf in their pharmaceutical marketing.
Intensive development of pharmacotherapies
Medicines are an integral part of the treatment of patients. Currently, a growing number of diseases can be treated through medication.
Pharmaceutical development has revolutionised healthcare. An increasing number of diseases are treatable outside hospitals, and many operations can be performed in short-stay surgery. The social importance and significance of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of many major public health problems have been studied.
Currently, pharmacotherapies are evolving from the use of general medicines suited for most patients towards more individually targeted products. Precision-medicines customised for individual patients will be able to cater for genetic factors, as well as for the nature and course of the disease in question. Already, many antirheumatics and cancer medicines represent this new generation of medicines.
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