Articles
With the Trump administration imposing tariffs of up to 39 percent on Swiss goods (recently reduced to 15 percent), the pressure on Switzerland’s most influential industrial sector – pharmaceuticals – has undoubtedly intensified. Yet the industry continues to wield a super-size effect on the local economy, contributing up to a tenth of the national GDP…
For a tiny Alpine nation nestled deep in the interior of continental Europe, Switzerland boasts a spectacularly vibrant biotech scene. This is because “the country manages to leverage its compact geography to achieve unprecedented levels of collaboration across key innovation hubs, rendering it possible to forge strong networks and partnerships with minimal friction,” observes Christian…
Manufacturing – long sidelined as a relatively prosaic element of the global pharma supply chain – is back in the news. Investment in manufacturing facilities is skyrocketing as sponsors rush to meet soaring market demand, and the global industry is scrambling to align with the Trump administration’s threats and incentives to ‘make in America.’ …
In an uncertain world, Europe – with Switzerland at its heart – is reclaiming its role as an epicentre for testing, scaling, and integrating new medical technologies. While much of the global narrative around the European life sciences market centres on doom and gloom (access delays for innovative medicines, a dwindling share of global…
As global trade tensions escalate, Switzerland’s export-driven pharmaceutical industry finds itself at a challenging moment. In May 2025, the United States imposed tariffs of up to 39 percent on Swiss goods, putting pressure on Switzerland’s most important industrial sector, which is responsible for ten percent of GDP and 41 percent of exports. In November,…
Switzerland has become a global leader in cutting-edge cancer research, with close collaborations between research institutions, hospitals, and private industry fostering the next generation of globally impactful cancer innovation. For instance, in Bellinzona, the capital of the Italian-speaking Ticino canton, the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) is working with its local hospital, the Oncology…
Natural remedies are on the rise. The USD 80 billion global natural health products market is projected to nearly double by 2033, according to Market Growth Reports, as patients with chronic long-term metabolic, neurological, and inflammatory diseases seek out lower-side-effect botanical interventions to complement or even replace pharmaceuticals. Health-conscious consumers looking to prevent illnesses…
Ophthalmology is one of the hottest niches in pharma right now. Investment is flowing in, M&A is up, and a broad cast of actors – from Big Pharma to legacy generics players and biotechs – are looking to get in on a market set to top USD 93.7 billion by 2030. The field can…
One in six infections worldwide is now resistant to first-line antibiotics, making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a major global health threat. Despite an extremely challenging commercial landscape, a handful of bold startups continue to innovate in this space, but can they turn the tide? Microorganisms that develop AMR were directly responsible for 1.27 million global…
Helsinn has recently entered one of the most consequential transformations in its history. As it prepares for a new transition at the helm of the company, Executive Chairman Riccardo Braglia and outgoing Group CEO Melanie Rolli reflect on a period marked by strategic separation, operational reinvention, and renewed therapeutic ambition. From navigating a near-collapse to…
The first company to bring a treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) to market, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals is redefining how the world tackles fatty liver disease. From its new European base in Zug, the firm is building an entirely new therapeutic category while spearheading one of the most ambitious global launches in recent memory. Diabetes…
Switzerland stands among the world’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturing and export hubs; though that position now faces headwinds from recent US policy moves, as detailed elsewhere in this report. Yet making medicines and vaccines is only part of the picture. The logistics sector that delivers them is growing in importance, especially as medical products rise in…
