Medaxes

What Medaxes does

Medaxes is the Belgian umbrella trade association (koepelorganisatie) representing pharmaceutical companies that produce generic and biosimilar (baseline) medicines. Operating from Brussels (Picardstraat 13, Tour & Taxis site), the organization functions as the unified policy voice for approximately 15 member companies including Sandoz, Teva, Aurobindo, Mylan/Viatris, Pfizer, Stada, Fresenius Kabi, Celltrion Healthcare, Accord, Aspen, Mundipharma, EG, Théa Pharma, Santen, and Bioprojet. Medaxes traces its institutional lineage to Febelgen (founded in the 1990s as the first unified generics federation) and was re-established under the current name around 2011, with the rebranding emphasizing 'access' and expanding the mandate from generics alone to all baseline medicines, including biosimilars.

The organization has no commercial product line. Its principal "product" is the policy memorandum published 21 March 2024 ("Geen ambitie. Geen geneesmiddelen." / "No Ambition. No Medicines."), which packages data-driven recommendations — built on RIZIV/INAMI statistics showing €4B+ in cumulative social-security savings since 2005, 604 baseline medicines disappearing from the Belgian market over five years, and Belgium's lagging 34% biosimilar launch rate versus 80–90% in peer EU markets — into a position platform for engagement with RIZIV, FAMHP, the KCE, and the Belgian federal government. Channel mix spans a campaign microsite (medaxes-memorandum.be), LinkedIn, press releases, op-eds, an annual New Year's reception, and participation in the global Biosimilar Medicines Week.

Commercially, Medaxes is a non-profit association funded by membership dues; it does not sell products or services to end customers and does not disclose financial statements. With a staff of approximately nine, leadership consists of CEO Jasmien Coenen, Chairman Dries Pattyn (Country Manager, Sandoz Belgium; succeeded long-serving chairman Jef Hus in June 2025), and directors covering strategy & policy and pharmaceutical/governmental affairs. The organization's strategic priorities are (1) reversing the disappearance of affordable baseline medicines caused by the "race to the bottom" pricing dynamic, (2) accelerating biosimilar uptake, (3) rebalancing the €5.5B medicines budget, and (4) securing supply-chain resilience through EU-level instruments such as the Critical Medicines Act.

Name

Medaxes

Legal name

Medaxes

Website

https://medaxes-memorandum.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Medaxes is the Belgian umbrella trade association representing pharmaceutical companies that produce generic and biosimilar (baseline) medicines. It advocates for sustainable access to affordable medicines through policy engagement with RIZIV, FAMHP, and Belgian government stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Industry Advocacy

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Generic Hospital & Institutional Products (HLAIABAL)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Medaxes is the Belgian non-profit umbrella organization (koepelorganisatie) representing pharmaceutical companies that produce and supply baseline (generic and biosimilar) medicines. It delivers policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and a public debate campaign ("No Ambition, No Medicines") to influence Belgian pharmaceutical pricing, reimbursement, and biosimilar adoption policy. The organization's main artifact is its Memorandum, which bundles data-driven recommendations and five position statements for sustainable access to affordable medicines.

Product overview

Medaxes is a Belgian pharmaceutical industry association and advocacy organization, not a product company. It represents pharmaceutical companies that produce generic and biosimilar medicines and advocates for optimal use of baseline medicines. The organization does not offer commercial products or services but instead provides policy recommendations, a memorandum with strategic proposals, and a platform for societal debate on pharmaceutical accessibility and affordability. Key offerings include the Medaxes Memorandum (a policy document with recommendations for sustainable medicines policy), the public debate campaign website (medaxes-memorandum.be), and representation of member companies including Accord Healthcare, Aurobindo Pharma, Aspen, Bioprojet, Celltrion Healthcare, EG, Fresenius Kabi, Mundipharma, Mylan/Viatris, Sandoz, Santen, Stada, Teva, and Théa Pharma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medaxes Memorandum "No Ambition, No Medicines" (Geen ambitie. Geen geneesmiddelen.) A policy document bundling concrete recommendations and data-driven strategic pillars for sustainable access to baseline (generic and biosimilar) medicines in Belgium. Downloadable PDF aimed at policymakers, regulators, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
• Public Debate Campaign (Maatschappelijk debat) and campaign website medaxes-memorandum.be An ongoing societal debate campaign hosting five position statements (stellingen), strategic pillars, video testimonials (Georgette, Marc, Mathis, Aysan, Thomas), and a downloadable memorandum, designed to drive public engagement on the future of baseline medicines in Belgium.
• Biosimilar Medicines Week Campaign Annual global campaign held in the second week of November to inspire broad audiences about the value of biosimilar medicines. Medaxes participates with LinkedIn content and policy engagement to improve biosimilar uptake in Belgium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Baseline medicines save Belgian social security over €4 billion since 2005
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AllergienetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 November 2024Medaxes spoke with Allergienet about biosimilars in allergy care, addressing frequently asked questions about biosimilars and their value for patients and the healthcare system in the context of the first omalizumab biosimilar entering the market.
• RIZIV (National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2024Medaxes collaborates with RIZIV on the Permanent Taskforce on Biosimilars, established within RIZIV to improve patient access to innovative treatments. Medaxes submitted a concrete proposal for prescription quotas and targeted incentives to the NIHDI. The taskforce aims to create a more sustainable and competitive biosimilar market in Belgium.
• Belgian pharmaceutical industry (pharma.be)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedaxes co-authored an op-ed with pharma.be CEO Caroline Ven on pharmaceutical budget policy, demonstrating alignment and joint advocacy on medicines policy issues affecting the broader pharmaceutical sector in Belgium.
• FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedaxes engages with FAMHP on policy issues. In an interview with FAMHP CEO Hugues Malonne, Medaxes discussed the Critical Medicines Act and Europe-wide pharmaceutical supply security. Belgium played a crucial role in the Critical Medicines Alliance launched during the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council.
• Critical Medicines Alliance (European)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA European coalition including the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare sector, and governments, launched during the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. This alliance conducted preparatory work for the Critical Medicines Act (CMA) proposed by the European Commission to reduce dependence on pharmaceutical producers and raw materials from other continents.
• KCE (Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedaxes submitted two research topic proposals to the KCE annual program: (1) co-payment reform as a proportional patient contribution, and (2) reimbursement framework for 'curative' medicines for terminally ill patients. KCE conducts studies on healthcare effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and organization to inform evidence-based policy.
• BEMVO (Belgian Medicines Verification Organisation)minorOthersMedaxes featured a conversation with Antoon Daneels, chair of BEMVO, about the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS) — the system safeguarding the supply of medicines in Belgium. The EMVS is described as working almost unnoticed, which is exactly why it functions effectively.

Scale indicators13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AssoGenerici: AssoGenerici is the Italian generic-medicines industry association. It is a directly comparable national peer performing the same advocacy function for Italy's off-patent medicines sector that Medaxes performs for Belgium.
• Pro Generika: Pro Generika is the German generic-medicines industry association. It is a direct functional peer to Medaxes, performing analogous advocacy and policy work on generic-medicine reimbursement, pricing, and supply for the German market.
• Medicines for Europe: Medicines for Europe is the European trade association representing generic and biosimilar medicine manufacturers. It is the closest functional peer to Medaxes, operating one level up at the EU level with the same member-profile and policy focus (off-patent medicines, biosimilar uptake, supply security).
• Asociación Española de Medicamentos Genéricos (AESEG): AESEG is the Spanish generics industry association. It mirrors Medaxes' mission in advocating for the sustainable supply and uptake of generic medicines in Spain and is a directly comparable national-association peer.
• pharma.be: pharma.be is the Belgian umbrella association representing the broader (innovative) pharmaceutical industry in Belgium. It is the most directly comparable peer given shared national remit, similar advocacy structure, and recent co-authored policy work with Medaxes — although it represents the innovative-medicine side rather than generics/biosimilars.
• British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA): BGMA is the UK trade association for generic and biosimilar medicine manufacturers. It is a directly comparable national peer addressing similar policy issues (reimbursement, supply, uptake) for the British off-patent market.

Regional players

• Medicines Australia: Medicines Australia is the Australian innovative-pharmaceutical industry association. It is a regional peer with a similar national-association advocacy mandate for medicines policy, although focused on the innovative side of the sector.
• HollandBIO: HollandBIO is the Dutch biotech industry association. It is a regional peer operating in an adjacent life-sciences advocacy role in the Netherlands; comparable function but broader biotech scope rather than generics-specific.
• Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA): CGPA is the Canadian generic-pharmaceutical industry association. It is a comparable national peer in function but operates in a different geographic jurisdiction, providing reference for how peer markets structure generic-medicine policy.

Broad incumbents

• International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA): IGBA is the global umbrella for generic and biosimilar medicines associations. It operates one level above Medaxes and represents the sector internationally, providing a broader peer reference point on global advocacy trends.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medaxes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medaxes