Debunking the Myths: Conversations on Collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Industry

The ECHoS webinar series Cancer Mission Impact: A Practitioners’ Series. Learn. Test. Come-back continues with a dynamic session titled “Debunking the Myths: Conversations on Collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Industry.” The discussion focused on how National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) can build meaningful and effective partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry to accelerate cancer innovation and improve patient outcomes across Europe.

A central theme throughout the session was the pivotal role of the EFPIA Oncology Platform in shaping a collaborative and policy-driven cancer ecosystem. Opening the discussion, Ivana Cattaneo (Novartis, Chair of the EFPIA Oncology Platform) emphasized the platform’s vision of ensuring that every patient in Europe has timely access to the cancer care they need. She underscored the importance of partnerships rooted in dialogue, co-creation, and multi-stakeholder alignment.

Speakers showcased a range of initiatives developed through cross-sector collaboration—ranging from leveraging real-world data and standardizing screening implementation to advocating for broader acceptance of oncology-relevant endpoints in HTA and regulatory decision-making. As Aikaterini Fameli (GSK, Vice Chair of the Platform) highlighted, relying solely on overall survival (OS) can delay access to promising treatments, especially when survival data may take a decade to mature.

The conversation also addressed Europe’s declining leadership in biomedical R&D compared to other global regions. Sebastian Arias (Roche, Vice Chair of the Platform) noted that reversing this trend requires more ambitious regulatory reform and deeper collaboration across the public-private spectrum.

In a particularly practical segment, Magda Chlebus (EFPIA) offered concrete guidance on how to initiate and sustain effective partnerships, dismantling persistent myths around trust, complexity, and the role of industry. As she pointed out, “It’s not just about co-funding, it’s a community of minds working together.” She encouraged early and open engagement as a critical factor for success.

The session concluded with a Q&A that reinforced the importance of trust, transparency, and early alignment as essential foundations for successful public-private collaboration. Speakers collectively emphasized the need for a shared commitment to innovation, resilience, and patient-centered care, highlighting that meaningful engagement must begin early and be rooted in mutual understanding. Ultimately, the webinar reframed public-private partnerships not as optional or supplementary, but as core drivers of progress, crucial to strengthening Europe’s leadership in oncology innovation and responding effectively to the urgent needs of cancer patients across the continent.