Since the 1950's considerable changes have been taking place within the pharmaceutical industry. Whilst this has been a period of rapid growth as a result of the introduction of many new and unique products designed for the relief of human and animal suffering, the costs of research have been escalating exponentially. At the same time legislation and controls were being introduced in many countries at an ever-increasing rate.
For research-based pharmaceutical companies who were experiencing this cost escalation, their continued viability and prosperity became increasingly dependent on the successful introduction and acceptance of their products in countries throughout the world.
With the growing need for - and emphasis on - a multi-national outlook when considering product research and marketing, the logical consequence was a requirement for reliable and comparable information about these different countries.
In order to explore the problems posed by the need for comparable and reliable information on a multi-national basis, and to design methods of overcoming them, representatives of fourteen research-orientated European-based pharmaceutical companies met in Geneva on May 5th 1961. This meeting resulted in the founding of the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EPHMRA) and in 2021 the Association celebrated its 60th Anniversary.
Two celebration 60th videos have been made, focussing on A Decade of Leadership and Celebrating its 60th.
Have a read through the 50th Anniversary booklet.
Each year the Association holds its annual conference in June. You can see here where previous Conferences were held the Association Presidents.