Madrid, July 12th 2016.– Farmaindustria’s Board of Directors, leaded by its President, Antoni Esteve, attended today the Palace of La Zarzuela, where his Majesty the King Felipe VI has received its members in an official audience. This way, the monarch got to directly know the activity of a sector gathered by 180 companies, in which national and international big, medium and small size enterprises share a common space.

Farmaindustria’s President gave a short speech before His Majesty, in which he thanked him for the chance to meet with His Majesty while underlining the commitment of the pharmaceutical industry, which expands both on the economic, industrial and social spheres, since they are inseparable for a sector whose activity is based on researching, developing and making new medicines available for healthcare professionals, with which to take care of citizens’ health.

Thus, Esteve remarked the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to Spain with regards to innovation, qualified employment, high added value production and exports. But he immediately linked these contributions to the social value: “It is clear that our ability to innovate depends on the financial situation of our companies –he stated-, but we are very conscious that from said situation also depends in part the healthcare of all us as citizens”.

This commitment with society in general and patients in particular was linked to the necessary collaboration with the Spanish National Healthcare System: “We could produce the best medicine in the world, but we would be failing if we were not capable to make it reach all patients who need it”, he remarked. He thus demonstrated the important bet of the sector with sustainability and access to innovations, materialized in the Protocol signed with the Government and that will celebrate its first year anniversary in November. Precisely, the Association’s Board of Directors presented the King with an original version of this agreement as a gift, and also as a symbol of the commitment of Spain through its institutions.

“We are lucky enough to enjoy one of the best and most generous healthcare systems in the world and we share, without reservations, the objective of guaranteeing its stability and development”; added Esteve, who explained to His Majesty that the implication that the Protocol has for industry in this regard. “We oblige ourselves so that expenditure in medicines does not generate distortions in Spanish economy, while it enables the access of citizens to pharmacological innovations”. He also highlighted the “additional value” that the Agreement has “during these difficult years, in which we all have to fight for the consolidation of the way out of the crisis and defining the new horizons of prosperity and hope we wish for Spain”.

FARMAINDUSTRIA’s President finalized his speech before His Majesty referring to the “honest will” of reinforcing the commitment as an innovative industrial sector in Spain with the double goal of achieving new medicines which are valuable and effective, and contributing alongside the healthcare system so that they reach all patients who needs them.