The Biotech Social Pact
In 2020, a community of CEOs and senior leaders of biotech and VCs signed the Biotech Social Pact – a set of principles they commit to as key actors within organisations involved in biotech innovation. The Biotech Social Pact community continues to evolve and grow as new leaders join the initiative.
Below and via this link you can read the pledge they signed:
We the undersigned leaders in the biotechnology industry and life science investors in Europe and in the US recognize that at this pivotal moment in the history of our industry, we are at the dawn of a golden age of medicine. We will soon have the ability to treat and cure diseases which have been untreatable and incurable.
Our industry is unique. We save, extend and enhance lives by alleviating the burden of disease. Our mission is to change the course of each individual’s life for the better. To achieve this, we acknowledge that we have a moral obligation to develop the best medicines and strive to ensure that every person who may benefit has access to them. And we need to ensure that we act with the highest integrity and corporate responsibility- always prioritizing the interests of patients.
So, to fulfil our obligations to patients, physicians, public authorities across Europe and to renew trust and confidence in how we deliver on our mission, each of us affirms a New European Biotech Social Pact, informed by these Core Principles and Actions:
ENSURE ACCESS:
- We will seek to collaborate with all key parties in the healthcare system, including all biopharmaceutical companies, payers, hospitals, pharmacies, distributors and policy makers, to achieve broad patient access to our medicines
- We invest in groundbreaking innovation to deliver new medicines to patients. Our medicines are priced to reflect the investment in innovation and the value they bring to patients
- We believe in growing our businesses with sustainable innovation, and in doing good by doing well. Our revenues should help financing further research, medical innovation and other initiatives in Europe
- To achieve the goal of patient access, we will collaborate with European governments, institutions, regulatory authorities, policymakers, patient organizations and healthcare professionals to contribute to sustainable healthcare systems, in particular through innovative pricing and value-based arrangements
- While we believe in the need for policies and regulation supporting innovation in areas of high unmet need, we commit to an ethical use of the economic and regulatory incentives for innovative medicines in Europe, and will support generic and biosimilar approvals of safe and effective medicines after our legitimate patent and regulatory protections expire
- We will strive to be constructive and open-minded partners to European and national authorities in their efforts to develop innovative policy solutions to access, including international collaborations, at European and national levels
ACT WITH INTEGRITY & RESPONSIBILITY AND BE COMMITTED TO PATIENTS:
- We support only ethical business practices that drive innovation, competition and physicians’ and patients’ choice
- We will invest only in novel therapies that address unmet patient needs and public health priorities
- We commit to patient centricity and empowerment in how we build and operate our companies, and will adhere to principles of compliance, transparency, ethics with patient groups, while considering them as equal partners
- We will speak out about and not tolerate companies and other stakeholders who abuse this commitment to patients, and who abuse policies aimed at fairly rewarding innovation
CONTRIBUTE TO A RENEWED EUROPEAN INDUSTRY THROUGH INVESTMENT AND GROWTH:
- We commit to contribute to Europe’s scientific excellence by conducting a significant share of our clinical research in Europe, as well as partnering with public authorities and academia on other initiatives to advance medical research and public health
- We will use our revenues to finance our expansion in Europe as appropriate to our business stage, in particular through the creation of European-based operations, the creation of highly qualified jobs and partnering with European companies for some of our operations
- We will engage with European policymakers to support the development and the growth of world-class biotech ecosystems, especially in those countries where biotech is identified as a strategic industrial sector
By committing to this European Biotech Social Pact, we express our conviction that we must develop medicines with patients as our primary concern. We are confident that in doing so we will best serve the interests of patients, their caregivers and healthcare providers, as well as those of our shareholders and society at large.
In the coming months, we will initiate discussions with European and national leaders on the implementation of this Pact and the commitments from both parties.
Co-authors* (listed alphabetically):
John Crowley, J.D., Chairman and CEO, Amicus Therapeutics, Cranbury, NJ
Daniel A. de Boer, CEO, ProQR Therapeutics, Leiden, The Netherlands – Cambridge, MA
Paul Hastings, CEO, Nkarta Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA
Rachel King, Former CEO / Member of the Board of Directors, GlycoMimetics, Inc., Rockville, MD
Jeremy Levin, D.Phil., M.B. B.Chir., Chairman and CEO, Ovid Therapeutics, New York, NY
Ted Love, M.D., CEO, Global Blood Therapeutics, South San Francisco, CA
John Maraganore, Ph.D., Former CEO, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA
Hans Schikan, PharmD, Co-founder and Vice Chair Pharvaris, former CEO Prosensa, The Netherlands
Onno van de Stolpe, Former CEO, Galapagos, Mechelen, Belgium
Cosigners* (listed alphabetically)
Karen Aiach, Founder and CEO, Lysogene, Neuilly sur Seine, France
Joern Aldag, CEO, Hookipa Pharma Inc., Vienna, Austria, New York, NY
Rui Amandi de Sousa, CEO, Stemmatters, Guimarães, Portugal**
Patrick Amstutz, CEO, Molecular Partners, Schlieren, Switzerland
Filipe Assoreira, Co-Founder and ex-CEO, Nano4 Global, Sintra, Portugal**
Paulo Barradas, CEO, Bluepharma, Coimbra, Portugal**
Els Beirnaert, Ph.D, CEO, Aelin Therapeutics, Leuven, Belgium
Pierre Belichard, CEO, Enterome, Paris, France
Yngvar P. Berg d.y., CEO, Algipharma, Sandvika, Norway
Julia Berretta, Ph.D., CEO, Genespire, Milan, Italy**
Gil Beyen, CEO, Erytech, Lyon, France, Cambridge, MA
Jasper Bos, Former Senior Vice President and Managing Director, M Ventures, Amsterdam, The Netherlands / General Partner, Forbion, Naarden, The Netherlands, and Board Member, Anaveon, Basel, Switzerland
Marc Le Bozec, Fund Manager, Financière Arbevel, Paris, France
David Braga Malta, Venture Partner, Pictet Private Equity, Geneva, Switzerland**
Olivier Brandicourt, Former CEO, Sanofi, Paris, France / Board Member, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, Fund Manager
Michel Briejer, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Thuja Capital, Utrecht, The Netherlands**
Ronald Brus, CEO, My Tomorrows, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Roel Bulthuis, Managing Partner, Inkef Capital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Pedro Castanheira, Head of Protein Sciences, Immunethep, Cantanhede, Portugal**
Giacomo Chiesi, Head of Global Rare Diseases, Chiesi Group, Parma, Italy**
André Choulika, Ph.D, Chairman & CEO, Cellectis, Paris, France; New York, NY, Raleigh, NC
Ron Cohen, M.D., CEO, Acorda, Ardsley, NY**
Daniela Couto, Ph.D, Partner, BioGeneration Ventures, Naarden, the Netherlands**
David Cristina, Executive Director, Fosun, Lisbon, Portugal**
Don DeBethizy, President, White City Consulting and Chairman, Albumedix, Lyngby, Denmark**
Inez de Greef, CEO, Treeway, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Rosamond Deegan, CEO, OMass Therapeutics, Oxford, U.K.**
Stephane Degove, CEO, Atamyo Therapeutics, Evry-Courcouronnes, France**
Patrik de Haes, CEO, Chairman, Oxurion N.V. & Oncurious N.V., Leuven, Belgium
John de Koning, General Partner, LSP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Francesco De Rubertis, Co-founder and Partner, Medicxi, London, U.K.
Luc Dochez, Managing Partner, DROIA Genetic Diseases Fund, Brussels, Belgium
Emmanuel Dulac, President and CEO, Zealand Pharma, Glostrup, Denmark
Xavier Duportet, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, Eligo Bioscience, Paris, France**
Dario Eklund, CEO, Santhera Pharmaceuticals, Pratteln, Switzerland
Harry Flore, Former CEO, Hal Allergy and Halix, Leiden, The Netherlands
Alexandria Forbes, CEO, MeiraGTx, London, U.K.
Raquel Fortunato, CEO, GenIbet, Oeiras, Portugal**
Matthew Gantz, Former CEO, OxThera Stockholm, Sweden / CEO at Castle Creek Biosciences, Exton, U.K.
Justin Gover, Former CEO, GW Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, U.K.
Yvonne Greenstreet, Dr., CEO, Alnylam Pharmaceutical, Cambridge, MA**
Tim Haines, Chairman & Managing Partner, Abingworth LLP, London, U.K.
Eric Halioua, CEO, PDC*line Pharma, Liège, Belgium
Julian Hanak, CEO, Purespring Therapeutics, London, U.K.**
Theresa Heggie, Former CEO, Freeline, Stevenage, U.K. /CCO, ProQR, The Netherlands
Adi Hoess, CEO, Affimed, Heidelberg, Germany
Chris Hollowood, CEO, Syncona, London, U.K.**
Sébastien Iva, CEO, Fab’entech, Lyon, France**
Jos Joore, CEO, Mimetas, Leiden, The Netherlands
Troels Jordansen, CEO, Glycostem, Oss, The Netherlands
Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D. CEO and President, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., Novato, CA
Allard Kaptein, Managing Director, Covalution BioSciences, Oss, The Netherlands
Matthew Kapusta, CEO, Uniqure, Lexington, KY, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Andreas Katopodis, Dr., CEO and Co-Founder, Anaveon, Basel, Switzerland**
Ronald Kempers, CEO, Mymetics Corporation, Leiden, The Netherlands
Tim Knotnerus, CEO, AgomAb Therapeutics, Ghent, Belgium
Mark Kotter, M.D. M.Phil. Ph.D., Founder and CEO, Bit Bio, Cambridge, U.K.
Jean-Paul Kress, M.D., CEO, MorphoSys, Planegg, Germany
Mark Krul, Director, Aglaia Oncology Funds, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Samarth Kulkarni, CEO, CRISPR Therapeutics, Zug, Switzerland
Gerben Moolhuizen, CEO, ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., Oegstgeest, Netherlands**
Edwin Moses, Former CEO Ablynx, Gent, Belgium / Chairman Of The Board LabGenius, Avantium and Achilles Therapeutics
Martin Murphy, Former CEO, Syncona, London, U.K.**
Nawal Ouzren, CEO, Sensorion, Montpellier, France
Antoine Papiernik, Managing Partner and Chairman, Sofinnova Partners, Paris, France
José Pereira-Leal, Founder and CEO, Ophiomics, Lisbon, Portugal**
António Portela, CEO, BIAL, Coronado, Portugal**
Georges Rawadi, Ph.D., Former CEO, YSOPIA Therapeutics, Bordeaux, France / Member of the Board of Directors, Alia Therapeutics and Non-Executive Board Member, Apmonia Therapeutics **
Bruno Santos, Co-Founder and CEO, Immunethep, Cantanhede, Portugal**
Roel Schaapveld, CEO, InteRNA Technologies B.V., Utrecht, The Netherlands
Liang Schweizer, Co-founder and CEO, HiFiBiO Therapeutics, Paris, France
Sérgio Simões, CEO, Luzitin, Coimbra, Portugal**
Sander Slootweg, Managing Partner, Forbion, Naarden, The Netherlands
Jan Smeitink, CEO, Khondrion, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Simão Soares, Co-Founder and CEO, SilicoLife, Braga, Portugal**
Kim Stratton, Former CEO, Orphazyme, Copenhagen, Denmark / Independent Director, Vifor Pharma and Member of the Board of Directors, Novozymes, Bagsværd, Denmark**
Rein Strijker, CEO, Vitalnext, Leiden, The Netherlands
Marco Timmers, Ph.D., CEO, Byondis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands**
Marina Udier, Ph.D., CEO, Nouscom, Basel, Switzerland
Mark Vaeck, CEO, Complix VN, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
Dinko Valerio, Ph.D., Chairman, ProQR Therapeutics, Leiden, The Netherlands
Erik van den Berg, CEO, AM-Pharma, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Pieter van der Meer, Managing Partner, Gilde healthcare, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO, argenx, Breda, The Netherlands – Ghent, Belgium
Ypke van Oosterhout, CEO, Xenikos, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Stéphane van Rooijen, CEO, Dynacure, Strasbourg, France
Han van ‘t Klooster, CEO, PharmaCytics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Edward van Wezel, Managing Partner and Founder, BioGeneration Ventures, Naarden, The Netherlands
Henrique Veiga Fernandes, Founder and CSO, LiMM Therapeutics, Paris, France**
Cedric Ververken, CEO, Confo Therapeutics, Ghent, Belgium**
René Vleugels, Managing Director, CyTuVax, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Alexander Vos, Former CEO, VarmX BV, Leiden, The Netherlands / CEO, VectorY Tx, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Eline Vrijland-Van Beest, CEO, Hybridize Pharma B.V., Leiden, The Netherlands
Thomas Ybert, PH.D., CEO, DNA Script, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France, South San Francisco, CA**
* The signatures above do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the agencies, organizations,
employers, or companies with which the signers are affiliated.
** Signatories who signed since 2020
