France's LEEM launches presidential campaign

With the approach of France's two-round presidential elections, which conclude in early May, the French pharmaceutical industry's trade association (LEEM) has launched its own campaign to bring drug policy into the center of national debate. Already, over 100,000 copies of a manifesto for the future of health care in France have been printed and distributed. The LEEM's president, Christian Lajoux, has now launched two additional initiatives to promote the drug industry's agenda.

On April 4, the LEEM is hosting a major public debate, with representatives of the main political parties, on the theme "how to make France a great life-sciences economy." In addition to politicians, several hundred figures in the world of scientific research and health are expected to attend, making the event the most in-depth and representative discussion of the life-sciences agenda for the coming five-year presidential term.

On March 14, Mr Lajoux announced the public launch of a common policy program between the drug industry, the health care providers and health care professionals. Representing the two partners were Jean-Pierre Cassan, president of the health care industry federation (FEFIS) and Dinorino Cabrera, president of the national council of health professionals (CNPS). At the common platform launch, Mr Lajoux noted that the health care sector as a whole, including pharmaceuticals, employs two million people, about 30,000 of them researchers, and generates about 10% of France's gross domestic product. The joint program calls for the future President to consider the health care sector, as a whole, as a wealth generating process.