Villa Taverna
November 29, 2017
(As prepared for delivery)
Good evening and welcome to Villa Taverna. I am pleased to see such a dynamic, interesting group here tonight on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Italian American Pharmaceutical Group.
I am honored to celebrate the value, ingenuity and innovation that American companies bring to Italy. IAPG has been around for twenty years, but many of their members have a much longer history with Italy. We are not only celebrating IAPG tonight, but also the strong partnership and historic ties between our two nations.
American pharmaceutical firms have demonstrated their longstanding commitment to Italian patients by providing innovative, life-saving therapies. In fact, these American companies contribute substantially to Italy in the form of R&D, innovation and jobs — accounting for about 20% of the industry’s employment in this country.
Today’s challenge is to bring new medicines to patients while maintaining the sustainability of the global healthcare system. To do so, all governments must recognize the full value of innovation – which includes not only the life-saving treatments for patients who desperately need them, but also the long-term economic impact of a healthier society.
The firms here tonight play a vital role in collaborating with Italian healthcare institutions to bring concrete solutions to Italy’s most critical healthcare needs. The scientific advances they are making – and the impact on our health – is astounding.
Italy is well-positioned to become a significant hub for the life sciences industries in Europe, particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals. However, for innovation to flourish, it is important for the industry to have a regulatory and business environment based solidly on transparency and the certainty of policy.
The U.S. Mission is committed to supporting American innovation and helping our firms succeed in Italy. We want to see more Italian patients benefit from the life-enhancing or life-saving therapies that these American firms have to offer.
That is why we will continue to work together with IAPG – a strong ally for these companies – to address challenges they face and improve their access to the Italian market.
Congratulations to IAPG for reaching this milestone. I am pleased to now give the floor to Fabrizio Greco, Chairman of IAPG.
Grazie, e buona sera.
