But he also serves as president of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (Ipha), the industry body representing companies that develop and manufacture medicines and vaccines. But there is a greater focus on getting to grips with a drug approval process that has become sclerotic and also ensuring consistent reliable supply of approved drugs. Medicines already approved will be benchmarked against that same basket each year, with the UK price also considered just in this year’s assessment. One of the more contentious realities of the pharma business is the price of new medicines. “I think over the years, from a European perspective, we probably haven’t valued medicines in the same way that we should have.

Source: The Irish Times March 13, 2026 15:31 UTC