Anthony Aouad, Sanofi General Manager Greece, Hungary & Ukraine
To understand what biopharmaceutical innovation truly means, let’s consider the moment when a patient, having heard the difficult news of diagnosis, asks the doctor: “Is there a treatment?” More and more today, the answer is “yes” – yes, there is a treatment that can change the course of the disease, a new therapeutic option, a new medicine suitable for this specific case.
This is the true value of biopharmaceutical innovation: achieving a healthier, longer, and better quality of life. Scientific breakthroughs offer treatments for previously incurable diseases and transform life-threatening illnesses into chronic conditions, paving the way for a more hopeful future.
Biopharmaceutical innovation is an investment that delivers returns in the long term and across multiple dimensions – for patients, society, the healthcare system, and the economy. It is often perceived as an economic burden, but the evidence shows it is one of the smartest investments we can make. Life expectancy has increased globally by 25 years since 1950, with 73% of the 1.74-year life expectancy increase across 30 OECD countries during 2000-2009 attributed to innovative medicines. Children with rare diseases now live long and quality lives. Young patients with Diabetes can now better manage their disease and its progression. People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) breathe more easily, remain active in their daily lives, and live more fully.
Improved therapeutic outcomes mean fewer complications, hospitalizations, and more years of productive and quality life. Every €1 invested in new medicines can save €2 to €7 in the healthcare system. At the same time, the biopharmaceutical sector serves as a strategic driver of economic development, offering thousands of high-value jobs and investing in Research & Development, clinical trials, patient support programs, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and disease awareness campaigns.
From our part at Sanofi, as an innovative biopharmaceutical company, we contribute significantly to this investment. We leverage our deep understanding of the immune system to develop pioneering therapies that improve patients’ lives. We are strengthening clinical research in Greece, with a focus on Immunology and Rare Diseases, collaborating with universities and public hospitals. In this way, we support early patient access to innovative therapies and provide career development opportunities for scientists in the country. With Artificial Intelligence at the center of Research & Development, we are accelerating the development of new therapies.
However, in Greece, low public health funding, low per capita public pharmaceutical spending compared to the European average, and high mandatory returns create uncertainty, hindering timely access to innovative medicines. Patients cannot wait – innovation has value only when access is ensured. We need predictability and reforms that treat innovation as an investment, not an expense. The cost of inaction is significant, as underinvestment can lead to increased disease burden, higher healthcare costs, and reduced productivity.
The role of the PhARMA Innovation Forum, as an institutional dialogue partner in this conversation, and the Voices of Innovation initiative are of critical importance. The proposals for a sustainable and predictable funding framework, timely and equitable patient access to innovation, strengthening clinical research, leveraging health data, and collaboration between the State and the innovative biopharmaceutical community reflect a shared belief: innovation constitutes a strategic investment with a strong socio-economic footprint and long-term benefit for the country.
MAT-GR-2600039-V3.0-02.2026
