Switzerland is a highly decentralised nation where much of the decision-making power lies within individual Cantons and where the Federal presidency is rotated annually. To consistently keep industry interests on the national agenda against this backdrop, a dense network of well-resourced and highly sophisticated professional associations has evolved in Switzerland. These organisations’ advocacy work extends to both national and international issues, while they also produce detailed reporting, policy papers, and data sets. PharmaBoardroom engaged with the heads of six leading lobbyists for this report with key insights from each featured below.
Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences: Retaining R&D Hub Status
Stephan Mumenthaler, director, scienceindustries
“Ensuring that Switzerland remains a premier location for R&D is one of our foremost priorities. This involves advocating for robust research policies, including regulations around animal experimentation, ensuring favorable conditions for R&D, and securing adequate funding.
“Education is another vital pillar of our strategy. Switzerland’s dual education system, which integrates vocational training with traditional university education, is a key strength. This system not only ensures high-quality education but is also closely aligned with industry needs, providing practical, industry-specific skills. As technological advancements and digitalization reshape industry demands, we continue to invest in both vocational and university education to ensure they meet the evolving needs of our members.
“Given Switzerland’s relatively small size, access to specialized talent is crucial. The free movement of labour within the European Union has been essential in meeting these needs, enabling our companies to draw from a broader talent pool. Additionally, our members often recruit globally, bringing in scientists from around the world, including the U.S., China, and India, highlighting the importance of streamlined recruitment processes.
“In the realm of economic policy, our focus is on maintaining efficient and competitive taxation. Switzerland’s commitment to the OECD tax reform, which includes adopting a new global minimum tax rate, is an area we closely monitor. Additionally, we advocate for comprehensive market access, both through global frameworks like the WTO and through bilateral free trade agreements. Switzerland’s proactive approach in securing agreements with key markets such as China and India—often ahead of the rest of Europe—demonstrates our commitment to expanding market opportunities for our members.”
Multinational Innovators: A Refreshed Approach to Reimbursement
René Buholzer, CEO, Interpharma
“We face several challenges in drug access and reimbursement, particularly with new medicines. Our research highlights that Switzerland has started to slip in terms of the full availability of medicines on the Swiss Special List (SL), and reforms to the SL process have not been as effective as we would hope.
“One of our key proposals is the Rückvergüteter Innovationszugang (Reimbursed Access for Innovation). This approach would allow new medicines to be provisionally reimbursed with a temporary price immediately upon Swissmedic approval, ensuring that patients do not face unnecessary delays. The final price would then be negotiated over a longer period, up to two years, providing more flexibility in the pricing process. This model is inspired by a similar system in Germany but offers a more generous framework, as companies would be required to pay back the difference between the provisional and final price.
“This proposal has been included by the Swiss Parliament in the Kostendämpfungspaket 2 (Cost Containment Package 2), but its progress has been slowed by debates surrounding the specifics of how provisional pricing would be managed. We are hopeful that these issues will be resolved because, fundamentally, this proposal prioritizes patient access without forcing them to bear the burden of administrative delays.”
Switzerland’s Largest and Most Diverse Pharma Association: Balancing Affordability & Innovation
Ernst Niemack, managing director, vips
“At the end of the day, we need to decide whether we want quick and comprehensive access to services, including new therapies and innovations, or if we are willing to settle for a more basic level of care through the standard insurance package. In Switzerland, the base insurance already covers a very extensive range of services. Now the political question is whether we continue providing this same level of service for everyone or move toward a system where people can choose between basic or more advanced packages.
“Balancing affordability with innovation is critical. We recognize the responsibility to control costs, and there have been savings of around CHF 1.5 billion per year in the pharmaceutical sector over the past 12 years. However, these savings come largely from pricing cuts that affect industry margins. The pharmaceutical sector is a major economic driver in Switzerland, with CHF 9.5 billion invested in R&D and producing around 50 percent of the country’s exports.
“The real challenge is to strike a balance. The Swiss healthcare law (KVG) outlines three key pillars: benefit, quality and security of supply, and cost affordability. All three are supposed to be considered equally, but the focus has increasingly shifted to cost alone. This narrow focus risks undermining the broader contributions of the pharmaceutical industry to both healthcare and the Swiss economy.”
Generics: Countering Supply Challenges & The Need for a Minimum Price
Lucas Schalch, managing director, Intergenerika
“The Swiss market, known for its strong emphasis on innovation, has seen a significant push towards reducing drug prices to achieve greater savings. While this strategy has been effective in controlling costs, it has led to challenges, particularly in drug supply. The pressure to lower prices has compelled many manufacturers to relocate production to countries like India and China to sustain profitability. This shift has exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain, which became evident during the pandemic when export restrictions disrupted access to critical drugs. Switzerland is currently grappling with severe supply issues, notably in areas such as antibiotics.
“A key aspect of my role is to engage with policymakers and regulatory authorities to address these supply challenges. It is crucial to ensure that the pricing system does not undermine the availability of essential drugs. The current pricing model in Switzerland, which operates on a continuous downward trend, risks making drugs so inexpensive that it jeopardizes their supply. We need to advocate for a minimum price to prevent this unsustainable trend. The high regulatory standards in Switzerland, enforced by Swissmedic, alongside the complexities of the local market—including its small size and multilingual environment—further complicate pricing. Despite the perception that drugs produced abroad should be cheaper, the costs associated with local distribution, quality control, and compliance with regulations mean that prices cannot be aligned with those of other countries.”
Biotech: Building New & Lasting Businesses
Michael Altorfer, CEO, Swiss Biotech Association
“While I am excited about the country’s prospects of continuing to be a leading global biotech innovation hub and a strong partner in international alliances and collaborations, I also believe that Switzerland should invest more in building new and lasting life sciences businesses.
It is true that in our industry many products cannot be developed or commercialized without a strong, multi-national industry partner. Innovating and selling a license or an asset to larger corporate partners is therefore a common option how to contribute as a biotech company. But personally, I believe that biotech entrepreneurs and biotech investors should always look at all strategic alternative options.
Whenever possible, the build-up of a long-term self-sustained business should at least be evaluated as it might allow to build both an attractive value proposition as well as powerful and innovative new biotech and pharma company. This could further complement and strengthen the Swiss biotech hub in the long-term.”
Medtech: Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles
Adrian Hunn, managing director, Swiss Medtech
“Maintaining Switzerland’s attractiveness for medtech investments requires a combination of political, economic, and strategic efforts. While competitive tax policies and government incentives are important, market dynamics will always play a significant role. One key area we are focusing on is the potential acceptance of FDA-approved medical devices in Switzerland. This would set Switzerland apart within Europe and ensure Swiss patients have access to the latest medical innovations, while also making the country more attractive for global medtech companies looking to establish a European base.
“Switzerland is already home to many European headquarters of global medtech companies due to its favourable business environment and skilled workforce. However, with the increasing regulatory hurdles posed by the EU’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR), we need to remain agile. The ability to sell FDA-approved devices in Switzerland would give companies a unique entry point into the European market. Combined with Switzerland’s favorable tax policies and high-quality labour force, this could significantly enhance our position as a leading medtech hub.”
Pharmacists: A Greater Role in Healthcare
Martine Ruggli, president, Pharmasuisse
“There is a pressing need for task shifting, particularly to pharmacists and nurses, to alleviate the burden on primary care physicians. Swiss pharmacies have proactively prepared for this shift by enhancing their competencies, allowing them to dispense prescription-only medications and provide in-depth patient counselling. However, the significant hurdle of being unable to bill insurance for these essential services persists forcing patients to bear the full cost. This limitation poses a major obstacle to fully realizing the potential of pharmacies within the healthcare framework.
“The structure of Switzerland’s insurance model further complicates access to pharmacy services. Patients must first cover a predetermined deductible out-of-pocket before insurance coverage begins, leading many—especially those with high-deductible plans—to seek care in pharmacies as a more accessible option, avoiding long waits in emergency rooms. However, the inability to bill insurance for many services remains a critical barrier.”
