International
Patients across the world deserve fast access to the latest medicines, but for too long, many wealthy countries have devalued biopharmaceutical innovation. Foreign government policies that deny fair market value and access to innovative medicines:
PhRMA works to ensure that new treatments and vaccines reach patients wherever they are, through international trade and global health agreements, fair market access policies, strong intellectual property protections and efficient regulatory systems.
International Trade
Strong trade agreements benefit patients in the United States and abroad through better health, jobs and economic growth. Ambitious, pro-innovation trade policies that defend American workers and intellectual property rights, strengthen supply chains and ensure other countries pay their fair share for innovative medicines help maintain America’s leadership in biopharmaceutical innovation. The industry, and the more than one million Americans it employs, depend on these important trade policies to develop, manufacture and distribute innovative medicines to health systems and patients worldwide.
International Trade
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Market Access
Timely and fair access to innovative medicines helps patients live longer, healthier and more productive lives and prevents more costly medical care. However, many countries devalue innovative treatments and cures by delaying or denying patient access to safe and effective medicines and setting prices below fair market value. These harmful policies reduce investment in research and development of future treatments and cures and allow other wealthy nations to free-ride off U.S.-financed innovation.
Market Access
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Intellectual Property Protections
Strong intellectual property protection and enforcement is a key component of America’s global competitiveness and incentivizes the investment necessary to bring new medicines to market. Intellectual property systems differ from country to country. Many countries delay or prevent biopharmaceutical innovators from securing patents, maintaining and effectively enforcing patents, and protecting regulatory test data. These policies compromise access to new medicines and innovation and often violate international obligations.
IP Protections
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Science and Regulatory
The United States is a leading contributor to the development and advancement of regulatory sciences that support the R&D of innovative medicines. International standards, including those set through the International Council for Harmonisation, support advances in regulatory science to facilitate access to innovative medicines for patients. When regional regulatory requirements differ, manufacturers face additional barriers to obtaining marketing authorization that can delay or prevent patients from accessing new treatments and vaccines.
Science and Regulatory
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Global Health
The biopharmaceutical industry supports global health policies and agreements that protect the innovation ecosystem, including through public-private collaboration, and expand access to lifesaving treatments and vaccines for patients worldwide. Global health agreements should support the development, manufacturing and distribution of these critically important technologies needed to prevent, prepare for and respond to global health challenges.
Global Health
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Related Resources
Report
2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) Submission
PhRMA submission calls for USTR to correct course on trade policy, enforcement
Global Access to New Medicines Report
World IP Day 2024: Supporting an innovative and sustainable future