Health Research
The Health Research Committee focuses on advocating for stronger funding for health research in the EU as well as working together towards a harmonised regulatory system which supports research and better health in Europe.
Description
Biomedical health research is at the heart of the BioMed Alliance’s mission. With
its Health Research Committee, the Alliance monitors EU Health research policy and related policies, informs its members about developments, provides a
platform for discussions and conveys the position of members to policymakers
and stakeholders. We strive to address bottlenecks and call for more support and
coordination health research.
Chair
The Committee is chaired by Prof. Wilfried Ellmeier.
Board Representatives
The Board Representatives for the Committee is Prof. Craig Wheelock and Prof. Ruth Loos.
Highlights
News
BioMed Alliance responds to European Commission’s call for evidence on ERA Act
On September 10 2025, the BioMed Alliance submitted its response to the European Commission’s call for evidence for an impact assessment on the upcoming European Research Era (ERA) Act. While welcoming the Commission’s ambition to strengthen research across Europe, we emphasize that the new Act must be fit for purpose and avoid adding unnecessary regulatory complexity.
You can find the full response on the European Commission’s feedback platform: Feedback from: BioMed Alliance
News
BioMed Alliance shares key recommendations to improve health research in FP10
The BioMed Alliance has published a new paper sharing the recommendations of healthcare professionals and researchers on the next Framework Programme 10, the successor of Horizon Europe. The paper, titled "Shaping the future of European health research: policy recommendations of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe for Framework Programme 10 and beyond" was published in FEBS letters on 27 May. In the Scientists' Forum article, members of the Alliance's Research Committee analyse strengths and shortcomings of the current framework programme, and propose recommendations for the future.
As EU policy makers discuss the next Multiannual Financial Framework, and the scope of the next Framework Programme for research, it is important to take stock and see what improvements need to be made to support excellent health research. To increase competitiveness in research and innovation and generate better outcomes for patients, medical societies part of the BioMed Alliance urge policymakers to embrace health and biomedical research as a strategic priority.
In addition to policy recommendations, the paper emphasises the importance of investing in health research, highlights the shortcomings of current health research systems, and discusses the limitations of Horizon Europe.
Recommendations:
As EU policy makers discuss the next Multiannual Financial Framework, and the scope of the next Framework Programme for research, it is important to take stock and see what improvements need to be made to support excellent health research. To increase competitiveness in research and innovation and generate better outcomes for patients, medical societies part of the BioMed Alliance urge policymakers to embrace health and biomedical research as a strategic priority.
In addition to policy recommendations, the paper emphasises the importance of investing in health research, highlights the shortcomings of current health research systems, and discusses the limitations of Horizon Europe.
Recommendations:
- Strengthen funding to support the translational health research and innovation value chain.
- Reduce the administrative burden in grant applications.
- Simplify and harmonise the regulatory framework.
- Strengthen strategic leadership, coordination, collaboration and education.
News
New Statement - Health is wealth: Policy makers must preserve investment to protect the health of EU citizens
BioMed Alliance has issued a new statement with a range of civil society organisations in the health field, expressing concerns regarding the potential cut of health funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. This reduction could seriously impede the implementation of a strong and coordinated European health strategy, and ultimately impacting the well-being of citizens, the resilience of the health workforce and Europe’s innovation and competitiveness in the health field.
Healthcare professional organisations, patient organisations and other civil society organisations from the health field call on policy makers to not forget the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to not weaken their commitment to health and to preserve funding for key health policy and research funding instruments such as EU4Health and the Health Cluster in Horizon Europe.
Healthcare professional organisations, patient organisations and other civil society organisations from the health field call on policy makers to not forget the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to not weaken their commitment to health and to preserve funding for key health policy and research funding instruments such as EU4Health and the Health Cluster in Horizon Europe.
Report
2023 Report Highlights the importance of Life Science Investments in Europe
The report, "Attracting Life Science Investments in Europe," has been published in 2023 as an initiative by BioMed Alliance, EuropaBio, and Johnson & Johnson. The report consists of an analysis of the life science sector within Europe, providing a set of indicators on the importance of life science investments.
The report identifies existing gaps within the European life science ecosystem compared to the US and China and provides strategic recommendations to address these disparities. Key recommendations include:
- Stronger policy efforts from the EU to establish a long-term vision and enhance Europe’s position in life sciences.
- Increased and more focused public funding for research and education, both at the EU level and within individual member states, to avoid the inefficiencies caused by fragmented resources
Statement
New statement shares the concerns of the scientific community on a recent Citizens Initiative proposing to phase-out animal testing
The medical & scientific community represented within the BioMed Alliance has published a new statement expressing its strong concerns about the consequences of the European Citizens Initiative ‘Save cruelty free cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ for biomedical research. While the first two parts of the Citizens’ Initiative refer to protecting the animal testing ban for cosmetics and to transforming the chemicals regulation (the BioMed Alliance has no official position on this), the third part on modernising science could affect the European health research sector.
This Citizens Initiative calls on the Commission to introduce a ‘legislative proposal plotting a roadmap to phase-out all animal testing in the EU before the end of the current legislative term’ and is currently being considered by EU policy makers. The initiative was also discussed in a hearing in the European Parliament on 25 May and the Commission is preparing a response.
The proposed phase-out will have a detrimental effect on biomedical research and will significantly hinder the search for new insights into the characteristics and progress of diseases and the development of life saving treatment options for patients.
Report
Workshop European initiatives for health research and development
The "European initiatives for health research and development” workshop was held at the World Health Summit in Berlin on Sunday 29th October 2019. The workshop was hosted by the BioMed Alliance, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the M8 Alliance. The report summarises the speakers’ perspectives and views on the future design of European health research and global partnerships.