Dr David Reddy, Director General, IFPMA, and Dr Bettina Hamelin, President, IMC, jointly advocate for health innovation at the 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis (15-17 June). They call G7 leaders to place health and life-sciences innovation at the heart of the G7 agenda, emphasizing three areas of focus where the pharmaceutical industry can drive impact: Investing in healthcare as a long-term economic and social priority; Strengthening global health security through preparedness and innovation; Recognizing industry as a catalyst for economic growth and resilience.
Novel medicines and vaccines transform the way we prevent, treat and manage diseases. Innovations such as cell and gene therapies, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and nucleotide-based products are revolutionizing the response to obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and even the progression of Alzheimer’s. When we look at the potential that the next generation of medicines and vaccines offers, it is truly remarkable. By 2035, it is estimated that 700 new medicines could be launched, preventing, slowing, or stopping diseases.
But for this to become a reality, healthcare needs to remain a priority for governments. As Canada prepares to host the G7 Leaders’ Summit, there is a meaningful opportunity to unlock the potential of the pharmaceutical industry to support resilient healthcare systems, strengthen global health security, and drive economic growth. Central to this success is making healthcare a long-term strategic priority and placing it at the top of the agenda for G7 leaders. Here’s why:
Healthcare as a Strategic Investment
Firstly, healthcare systems across the G7 and beyond are under tremendous pressure. One example of this pressure is the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for approximately 75% of deaths globally and contribute to substantial productivity loss. These diseases – such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurological conditions – not only cause significant harm to individuals and their families but also place a serious strain on healthcare systems. Our healthcare systems already have to adapt to aging populations and shifting epidemiological patterns.
New medicines and vaccines play a vital role in preventing disease or delaying the onset of severe and debilitating illness. For example, adult immunization programs can deliver returns of up to 19 times the initial investment when considering benefits to individuals, healthcare systems, and society as a whole. Promoting the early adoption of medical innovations can transform lives and also strengthen healthcare systems while supporting economic growth. Recent innovations have enabled remarkable breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of cancers, obesity, sickle-cell disease and, for the first time, the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
No Economic Security without Health Security
Secondly, identifying and addressing health crises at an early stage must be a core priority for G7 countries, whose leadership is essential in combatting global health security threats. The pharmaceutical industry is a key partner in advancing global health security, and we remain committed to collaborating with G7 governments to enhance pandemic preparedness and response (PPR), biosecurity, and the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The recent adoption of the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly marks not an end, but the beginning of a new approach to pandemic preparedness and response. Medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics will remain central to our collective efforts, and it is essential that G7 countries cultivate a life sciences environment that enables the sector to make the significant investments required to drive innovation and stay ahead of emerging health threats. This includes robust protection of Intellectual Property (IP) rights; the removal of trade barriers, strengthened global supply chains, enhanced regulatory systems, and value-based frameworks that appropriately reward innovation.
Pharmaceutical Innovation is a Catalyst for Economic Growth and Resilience
Finally, prioritizing healthcare means prioritizing economic growth. As the COVID-19 pandemic taught us, economic security is impossible without health security, and effective healthcare systems are needed to support healthy and productive populations. In addition, the life sciences sector is one of the economic engines of the G7. Take the pharmaceutical industry in Canada alone, where the sector employs more than 110,000 people and contributes $18.4 billion to the country’s GDP. We know that, globally, the industry invests substantially more in R&D than any other research-intensive sector, employing highly skilled people in a wide variety of roles, from scientific discovery to manufacturing. The G7 is a unique platform to unlock further potential, and the industry remains committed to working with all G7 governments to make this a reality.
There is a real opportunity for the G7 to work towards achieving these ambitions. Alongside G7 leaders focusing on health at the Leaders’ Summit, hosting a G7 Health Ministerial this year will send an important message about keeping health high on the political agenda. Health cannot be allowed to slide down the list of priorities; it must remain a core pillar of global economic and geopolitical discussions. Getting this right will not only improve health outcomes for patients but build healthy nations, strengthen our security and drive long-term economic growth and resilience.
