Pharmaceutical production weak in NL due to public focus on cheaper medicines

DutchNews, June 8, 2017

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Despite its ageing population and consequent increased need for medicines, the pharmaceutical industry is losing ground in the Netherlands, the Financieele Dagblad said on Thursday. 

This is in sharp contrast to neighbouring countries where pharmaceutical production is blossoming. Accountancy firm PwC said there was a direct link to the Dutch government’s focus on cheaper medicines in a report commissioned by the innovative medicines association (VIN), a sector organisation representing the Dutch pharmaceutical industry. 

The authors of the report noted there was one bright spot in that many new biotechnology companies are now developing new medicines in the Netherlands. There has been substantial growth of young firms in this sector PwC said. 

The report said more effort should be made to attract international companies to set up production facilities. given the good infrastructure and the large skilled labour market. The pharmaceutical industry presently employs 65,000 people.

The Netherlands no longer has any large home-grown pharaceutical companies. The largest producer is US-based MSD in Oss. Others include Teva in Haarlem, Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen in Leiden and Astelllas in Meppel.

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"THE BRIDGE OF SWORDS" – Sep 29, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) - (Text Version)

“…I'm in Canada and I know it, but I will tell those listening and reading in the American audience the following: Get ready! Because there are some institutions that are yet to fall, ones that don't have integrity and that could never be helped with a bail out. Again, we tell you the biggest one is big pharma, and we told you that before. It's inevitable. If not now, then in a decade. It's inevitable and they will fight to stay alive and they will not be crossing the bridge. For on the other side of the bridge is a new way, not just for medicine but for care. Paradigms that have not yet been thought of, which don't represent any system that currently exists, will be created and developed by young minds who have concepts that the seniors don't know about. Things that don't have integrity today will fall over tomorrow. Just get ready. It's all part of what's on the other side of the bridge. And the old energy won't like it, and they will object. …”