Working group on setting up the National Pharmaceutical Development Centre
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has appointed a working group to conduct a preliminary analysis and draft a proposal concerning the establishment of the National Pharmaceutical Development Centre and its tasks. The Government of Finland decided in the discussions on spending limits in April to allocate EUR 11 million to the establishment of the National Pharmaceutical Development Centre.
The aim is to promote competitive pharmaceutical development in Finland. We already have basic pharmaceutical research of a very high standard in Finland, but commercial products are created all too rarely.
This is why pharmaceutical development centres have been established in many countries to take pharmaceutical development projects based on academic research to the practical implementation phase and set up new growth enterprises.
The working group will draft a proposal on the key tasks and functions of the Pharmaceutical Development Centre, its legal entity status, model for its organisation and guidance, and the measures required to be taken by the State and other stakeholders.
The Pharmaceutical Development Centre would serve the universities and research institutes, operators in clinical pharmaceutical research and companies in the sector in all parts of Finland. The National Pharmaceutical Development Centre will also support and strongly promote the objectives of the growth strategy for the health sector and benefit the patients.
A draft proposal on the tasks and functions of the centre is to be completed by 17 August 2018 and a draft proposal on the guidance, personnel structure, financing and business operations by 26 October 2018.
Inquiries:
Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Chief Strategy Officer, chair, tel. +358 295 163 382
Lauri Pelkonen, Director, vice-chair, tel. +358 50 363 7012
Tuuli Tuunanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 163 480
This is an English translation of a press release originally issued in Finnish on 28 June 2018