Executives from the pharmaceutical industry were gathered around a table in the Italian Room inside Government Buildings. The motivation was to improve smaller or poorer EU states’ access to new drugs coming on to the market. Internal documents show key meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Mr Harris earlier this year gave them their first indication that they had been heard. Shortly afterwards the Government came out and publicly opposed cutting the level of “protection” companies enjoyed over new drugs. The result is as close to a total victory as the pharmaceutical industry could have expected to get.

Source: The Irish Times December 11, 2025 18:41 UTC