On 25 and 26 April 2012, the Sheraton Hotel opened its doors to the event titled “European Pharma Law Convention 2012.” More than one hundred leading professionals in the field of pharmacy from all over Europe took part.

The organizers were NuConsult, a Slovak company, in cooperation with the Slovak Association of Research-Oriented Pharmaceutical Companies SAFS. The event was also supported by EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) through its network of national associations of pharmaceutical manufacturers, including direct support from more than 10 countries. The original idea was developed during many discussions in 2009 between leading NuConsult partners and pharmaceutical leaders from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, and other countries. Because it was clear that the industry felt a need for greater understanding of the legal nature of its activities and ways of legal protection in today’s rapidly developing and changing old and new markets, the original program and topics were consulted with experts, representatives of global law firms.

The final program consisted of four main themes, and each had its own section: 1. Pricing and Reimbursement of Medicines (Pricing & Reimbursement) 2. Economic Competition (Competition) 3. Advertising and Information on Medicines (Advertisement and Information) 4. Compliance with Regulations (Compliance).

The Pricing and Reimbursement section had four speakers, including the recognized European industry leader and expert Richard Bergstrom, Chief Executive Officer of EFPIA. After welcoming all guests and conference delegates, he presented the goals of the section on the topic 'Key Principles and Setting of Maximum Reimbursement Prices of Medicines in the EU'. His unique communication style with the audience and his presentation of his work created a feeling of shared concerns and problems in everyday work for all participants, regardless of the country they came from. Sabine Voeglerová, an expert in pricing and reimbursement, presented the latest work of Gesundheit Österreich GmbH. Martin Višňanský, the newly appointed chairman of SAFS Slovakia, spoke about pricing strategies for foreign trade. Mark Molnar from Corvinus University of Budapest (Institute of Management) presented his latest research on the topic 'The Role of HTA and Reimbursement Rules for Medicines'.

The Competition section took place during the afternoon of the first day of the event. Blaž Višnar from DG Competition (European Commission) on competition presented several cases, case studies, and concrete data on the topic 'reverse payment settlement agreements'. Melanie Thill-Tayara, partner at Norton Rose, a leading law firm in competition in the pharmaceutical industry, mentioned in her presentation legal regulatory procedures that are legally available, namely 'the use of patent procedures'. Her presentation was met with positive feedback from participating delegates. To the attractiveness of the section and the entire event, Riho Tapfer from the Estonian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers also contributed, and the professional program of the first day was concluded by Michal Krejsta - Chief Executive Officer and chairman of the board of one of the largest distribution companies in our market. Mr. Krejsta was invited at the request of registered delegates to present his perspective on the distribution of medicines. His presentation described the challenges, strategies, and relationships between pharmacies, distributors, and manufacturers. He detailed the distributor’s position, including the benefits and added value for manufacturers resulting from this cooperation.

In the evening, discussion on the presented themes continued in a less formal environment at a restaurant on the Danube bank. As part of the social program, there was a wine tasting of wines from the Tokaj region.

The second day continued with two further themes. The Advertising and Information on Medicines section was opened by Christofer Fjellner, a Member of the European Parliament and the author of the report 'Patient Access to Information about Medicines'. John Chave, Secretary-General of PGEU, followed his presentation. He addressed the proposed EU directive on information about medicines. In this section, Ruxandra Rogosca, an independent expert from Romania, and Oleksiy Bezhevets, partner in a leading Ukrainian legal alliance focused on the pharmaceutical industry, also presented. His presentation brought a new perspective on the Russian and Ukrainian pharmaceutical market.

In the final section, Compliance with Regulations, Helga Biro, a partner in the Budapest office of an international law firm, and Nadia Cumanescu, regional leader for the EMEA, Turkey, Russia, and Romania market in a leading pharmaceutical company, presented.

After each section, an open discussion followed, which answered questions arising from the presentations.

NuConsult and SAFS Slovakia thank all participants for the high-quality feedback and constructive assessments of the program, which will form the basis for further deliberations and future projects. The second edition of this event under the title “2nd Annual Pharma Law Convention 2013” is already in the preparatory process.

Nu Consult More information on the website: NuConsult