The life sciences industry is under scrutiny. In the US, Congress is discussing radical reform of healthcare provision while the FTC, an antitrust watchdog, continues to investigate reverse-payment settlements; in the EU, meanwhile, the European Commission has recently completed an investigation into competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry and indicated it might soon take action against individual companies. On a wider level, there are powerful debates worldwide about balancing control and access over genes and traditional knowledge. These challenges come in the context of major changes within the industry, as many blockbuster drugs lose patent protection, the lines between the branded and generic industry become increasingly blurred and new companies develop in emerging markets.
