What Medicines for Europe does

Medicines for Europe is a Brussels-based, non-profit industry trade association (legally structured as an AISBL — Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif) founded in 1993 as the European Generic Medicines Association (EGA) and rebranded under its current name in 2015. It represents manufacturers of generic, biosimilar, and value added medicines operating across the European Union, organized through three sector groups: the Generic Medicines Group, the Biosimilar Medicines Group, and the Value Added Medicines Group. Its members collectively supply over 70% of all medicines dispensed in Europe, and the association cites that biosimilar medicines have delivered approximately €50 billion in cumulative savings across Europe since 2006, including €10 billion in 2023 alone.

The association's core activities center on EU-level policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, and member services. It publishes annual Generic and Biosimilar Market Reviews, policy papers, factsheets, and position papers; runs the 'Conversations on EU PHARMA' podcast; and hosts a calendar of conferences including the Biosimilar Medicines Conference, the Annual Conference, and Regulatory and Legal Affairs conferences. Revenue is derived from recurring annual membership fees paid by pharmaceutical manufacturer members — there are no product sales or external services revenue streams. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and does not develop or sell technology products.

Strategically, Medicines for Europe has actively engaged on multiple regulatory fronts, including supporting the EU Biotech Act (published December 2025) and participating in a coalition challenging the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme under the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. It also maintains institutional partnerships with the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance (IGBA) and the European Medicines Verification Organisation (EMVO), and operates with a small Brussels-based staff (11-50 employees) at Rue d'Arlon 50.

Name

Medicines for Europe

Legal name

Medicines for Europe AISBL

Website

https://medicinesforeurope.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medicines for Europe is a Brussels-based non-profit trade association representing European generic, biosimilar, and value added medicines manufacturers, whose members supply over 70% of medicines dispensed across Europe. It generates revenue from membership fees and focuses on EU policy advocacy, regulatory engagement, market research publications, and industry conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Trade Association

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Generic Hospital & Institutional Products (HLAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAJ)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical trade association
• Generic medicines advocacy
• Biosimilar medicines industry
• Pharmaceutical policy advocacy
• Off-patent medicines representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Medicines for Europe operates as a membership-based industry association representing generic, biosimilar, and value added medicines manufacturers across Europe. Revenue is derived from annual membership fees paid by pharmaceutical company members.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Medicines for Europe is a Brussels-based non-profit industry trade association (AISBL) that represents manufacturers of generic medicines, biosimilar medicines, and value added medicines operating in Europe. It provides collective policy advocacy, regulatory guidance, market intelligence (annual Market Reviews), best-practice sharing, and lobbying for its member companies before EU institutions. Its members supply over 70% of all medicines dispensed in Europe.

Product overview

Medicines for Europe is a trade association representing the generic, biosimilar, and value added medicines industries in Europe. The organization does not offer a unified software product but provides a portfolio of sector groups, publications, policy resources, and events. Its three core sector groups—Generic Medicines Group, Biosimilar Medicines Group, and Value Added Medicines Group—each advocate for their respective segments. The association publishes annual market reviews, factsheets, infographics, policy papers, and hosts the 'Conversations on EU PHARMA' podcast. Major events include the annual Biosimilar Medicines Conference and the Annual Conference. The organization was originally founded in 1993 as the European Generic Medicines Association (EGA) and now represents companies supplying over 70% of all medicines dispensed in Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Generic Medicines Group: Sector group representing generic medicines manufacturers in Europe
• Biosimilar Medicines Group
• Value Added Medicines Group

Products and services

• Generic Medicines Group Sector group within Medicines for Europe representing generic medicine manufacturers, providing market reviews, policy advocacy, and access initiatives. Members in this group supply over 70% of all medicines dispensed in Europe.
• Biosimilar Medicines Group Sector group focused on biosimilar medicines — highly similar biological medicines with no clinically meaningful difference in efficacy from their reference product. Provides policy advocacy and market intelligence, building on more than 10 years of positive patient experience since the first EU biosimilar approval in 2006.
• Value Added Medicines Group Sector group dedicated to value added medicines that optimise, rethink, and reinvent existing medicines based on known molecules to address unmet medical needs through improved care delivery systems.
• Generic Medicines Market Review 2025 Annual report providing an overview of policies currently in place for generic medicines across different European countries, covering pricing, reimbursement, procurement, and substitution policies.
• Biosimilar Medicines Market Review 2025 Annual report providing an overview of biosimilar medicines policies across European countries, covering availability, pricing, reimbursement, procurement, prescribing, and dispensing policies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70% of all medicines dispensed in Europe are supplied by association members
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry associationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Medicines for Europe is part of a coalition with other pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry associations that have jointly filed lawsuits challenging the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme under the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (rUWWTD). The coalition argues that assigning 80% of micropollutant removal costs to pharmaceutical producers violates the polluter-pays principle and could lead to medicine shortages.
• IGBA (International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance)coreOthersMedicines for Europe is a member of the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance (IGBA), a worldwide association of generic medicine manufacturers. IGBA works to improve access to generic medicines globally and represents the industry at international levels.
• EMVO (European Medicines Verification Organisation)coreOthersMedicines for Europe is a member of the European Medicines Verification Organisation (EMVO), which manages the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) to ensure medicines in the legal supply chain are authentic and not falsified.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations): EFPIA is the main Brussels-based counterpart that represents originator/innovator pharmaceutical companies in EU policy and regulatory discussions, making it the most direct peer in scope, geography, and advocacy mandate.
• AAM (Association for Accessible Medicines): AAM is the US trade association representing generic and biosimilar manufacturers, serving a near-identical advocacy and market intelligence function in the United States, mirroring Medicines for Europe's role for Europe.

Emerging players

• EuropaBio: EuropaBio is the European bio-industry association covering biotechnology including biosimilars-adjacent topics, sharing Brussels policy advocacy infrastructure and overlapping member bases with Medicines for Europe.

Regional players

• Pharma.be: Pharma.be is the Belgian innovative-pharma association sharing the same Brussels ecosystem and representing originator manufacturers domestically, with overlapping EU policy engagement on pharmaceutical regulation.
• BGMA (British Generic Manufacturers Association): BGMA represents UK generic pharmaceutical manufacturers and runs parallel policy advocacy on pricing, reimbursement, and supply continuity, making it a UK counterpart to Medicines for Europe's continental remit.
• Pro Generika: Pro Generika is the German generics industry association operating from Berlin with comparable member services and policy advocacy, relevant as a major national counterpart inside the broader EU footprint.

Broad incumbents

• IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations): IFPMA is the global pharmaceutical industry federation based in Geneva, representing research-based manufacturers and engaging WHO and other multilaterals, forming the international advocacy layer against which Medicines for Europe balances.
• AESGP (Association of the European Self-Care Industry): AESGP represents non-prescription medicines, food supplements, and self-care products manufacturers in Brussels, sitting alongside Medicines for Europe on parallel EU regulatory and market access files.
• BPI (Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie): BPI is the leading German pharmaceutical industry association covering both innovative and generic manufacturers, with strong federal-level policy reach that occasionally aligns or competes with Medicines for Europe's positions.
• IGBA (International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance): IGBA is the global umbrella alliance of generic pharmaceutical associations of which Medicines for Europe is a member, providing an international coordinating layer that complements the European-level policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/medicinesforeu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgE4ySHqrr2rAGm7ZOLoOLQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medicines-for-europe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medicines for Europe