The Fragile Economics of Essential Medicines: What Future for Pharma?
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Essential medicines are the backbone of global healthcare, yet the economic model sustaining them is under increasing strain. While pharma is often criticised for high prices, the paradox is that many essential drugs—antibiotics among them—are chronically undervalued. The result is fragile supply chains, shuttered facilities, and recurring shortages. At the same time, shifting geopolitical dynamics, tariffs, and trade disputes are redrawing the global map of pharmaceutical production, amplifying vulnerabilities in access and innovation.
This paradox exposes the elephant in the room: can pharma remain true to its purpose of access when the system itself is broken? In this keynote, Alexander Krujatz, who leads the commercial operations for Centrient, a key supplier of antibiotic APIs, will explore how purpose and pragmatism must be reconciled in today’s volatile environment. He will argue that the future of critical medicines depends on a new compact—where governments, industry, and society share responsibility for building resilient, affordable, and purpose-driven healthcare.
