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.
Highlights
News
BioMed Alliance response to the Call for Evidence on European Partnerships in Health Research
The BioMed Alliance has submitted its response to the European Commission's Call for Evidence on the future of institutionalised European Partnerships under Horizon Europe. The proposed reform is an important opportunity, in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034), to strengthen how EU research and innovation investments contribute to European competitiveness and strategic priorities, including health.
We welcome the European Commission's initiative to strengthen public-private partnerships in health research, recognising their vital role in bringing together industry, researchers, healthcare professionals, and patients to accelerate medical innovation and improve healthcare outcomes. However, these partnerships have become increasingly complex and difficult to navigate in practice for healthcare professionals and researchers, who both contribute to and benefit from these initiatives. This reduces accessibility and limits participation, weakening the translation of research results into clinical practice.
In our response, we highlight the structural barriers to participation in institutionalised European Partnerships, such as Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), and call for clearer governance, improved accessibility, and stronger stakeholder engagement to maximise the impact of EU research and innovation in healthcare.
Our full response is available below.
News
Healthcare professionals and researchers call for more clarity on data sharing for health research
The BioMed Alliance, representing 34 European medical and research societies, has submitted feedback to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on the draft Guidelines 1/2026 on the processing of personal data for scientific research purposes. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has applied since 2018, provides the legal framework for how personal data can be used and shared across the EU, including for health research. The EDPB guidelines aim to further clarify how these rules apply in the context of scientific research.
While we welcome the EDPB’s efforts to improve legal clarity under the GDPR, we highlight that its interpretation and implementation for health research remains fragmented across Member States, cretating uncertainty. This often results in risk-averse approaches that can restrict data sharing, even where it is permitted under EU law and beneficial for patients and research.
Overall, we call for clearer, more practical, and more consistent guidance to support high-quality health research across Europe and reduce the legal uncertainty that currently hinders data sharing and innovation. The full feedback document is available below.
News
Key opinion leaders call for a strong EU health budget
More than 490 healthcare experts, researchers, academics, and patient advocates from across Europe have signed a joint letter calling on EU leaders and national governments to make health a strategic priority in the European Union’s next long-term budget.
The letter comes at a key moment in the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), as the EU focuses on competitiveness, resilience, and economic security. The signatories stress that these ambitions cannot be achieved without strong investment in health, prevention, and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, avoidable deaths linked to non-communicable diseases result in an estimated €442 billion in lost productivity every year across Europe.
The joint call urges EU institutions and Member States to support a dedicated and protected EU health budget that reflects the needs of citizens and strengthens Europe’s long-term resilience. The European Parliament has already adopted a position supporting dedicated health investment, while discussions among Member States are ongoing.
BioMed Alliance is proud to be among the signatories supporting this important initiative to place health at the centre of Europe’s future. This builds on our recent position on the future EU research framework, where we supported MEP Christian Ehler’s draft ITRE report on the next Horizon Europe (FP10) regulation and called for an ambitious, well-structured EU research budget.
‘Investment in health is undeniably fundamental to Europe’s resilience, prosperity, and global competitiveness. As the EU prepares the next MFF, policymakers must safeguard a strong, ring-fenced health budget to drive biomedical research, strengthen preparedness against future health threats, and improve patient outcomes across Europe’, said Tom Hemming Karlsen, BioMed Alliance President
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.