11 June 2026, GENEVA – PARIS – Ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Evian next week, the global pharmaceutical industry trade body – the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and the trade organization representing pharmaceutical companies operating in France (Les Entreprises du Médicament, Leem) – call on G7 leaders to place pharmaceutical innovation at the center of their economic and competitiveness agenda.

IFPMA and Leem call on G7 leaders to focus on three priorities:

• Invest in innovative medicines and vaccines: Medicines and vaccines are investments that deliver significant multiplier effects for economies and societies. Sustained innovation requires competitive markets that attract, value, and reward innovation. Investments and policies must reflect the full health, economic and societal value these innovations generate.
• Prioritize the innovative pharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector: The innovative pharmaceutical industry is a strategic sector central to long-term growth, competitiveness, and resilience. It supports millions of high-value jobs in G7 countries, generating long-term economic returns. A globally competitive pharmaceutical industry must remain a cornerstone of the G7.
• Strengthen the G7’s leadership in pharmaceutical innovation: Leadership is not inherited and without deliberate, forward-looking strategy, this competitive advantage will erode. As global competition intensifies, the G7 must prioritize global leadership in the world’s most R&D-intensive sector, which drives progress far beyond health, from data to digital domains.

The call comes at the conclusion of the “B7 Summit” that took place in Paris, where global business leaders identified health innovation as a finance priority and central determinant of competitiveness, macroeconomic stability, and economic security.

Under the 2026 G7 French Presidency, there has been increased recognition that the sector is crucial to providing a strategic response to multiple challenges G7 economies face – from correcting global imbalances to strengthening economic resilience and driving sustainable long-term growth.

IFPMA and Leem have set out that pharmaceutical innovation should be a long-term strategic priority for the G7. Partnership between governments and industry is essential if the G7 is to continue attracting investment and advancing innovation.

IFPMA Director General Dr. David Reddy, said:

“Innovative medicines and vaccines not only transform lives, but deliver resilient health care systems, stronger economies and are central to the G7’s competitiveness. As G7 leaders meet in Evian next week, it is critical that those governments reflect on what action they need to take to secure future innovation and life sciences leadership. Engaging with the industry as a strategic partner and investing in medical innovation is essential if we are going to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face – from ageing populations to the rise of chronic diseases or tackling future global health threats”.

Leem President Jean-François Brochard, said :

“G7 leaders have the opportunity to send a strong signal to the world: choose to make health a strategic priority at the heart of their economic policies. Concrete G7 action means investing in innovation and ensuring sustainable access to therapeutic advances for patients. Our sector is ready to commit fully alongside the authorities to accelerate this momentum — from clinical research to access to innovation, via security of supply and industrial attractiveness — with a simple conviction: the future of our healthcare systems is being built today, through ambitious and collective choices”.

Media Contacts

Elliot Dunster e.dunster@ifpma.org

Stéphanie Bou sbou@leem.org