Pharmaceuticals: getting the chemistry right

Reconciling the different needs of patients, pharmaceutical companies and public health services is far from easy. The fi rst require quality treatment. The second need an environment in which investment and innovation are rewarded, and the third are constantly struggling to keep costs down. The Pharmaceutical Forum set up by the Commission under the joint chairmanship of Vice-President Verheugen and Commissioner Kyprianou has just produced its fi rst progress report setting out a framework for future work in these three key areas.