Medochemie Collaborates with European Partners to Prevent Medicine Shortages

When patients arrive at pharmacies only to find their prescribed medications unavailable, the consequences can range from inconvenient to life-threatening. Medicine shortages have become an increasingly pressing concern across Europe, prompting unprecedented collaboration among pharmaceutical manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and healthcare systems. At the center of one such collaborative effort stands Medochemie, a Cyprus-based pharmaceutical company whose contributions to European medicine security extend well beyond its Mediterranean origins.

The challenge is substantial—over two-thirds of reported medicine shortages between January 2023 and 2024 stemmed from products with fewer than five suppliers in Europe. This vulnerability in the supply chain has mobilized stakeholders across the continent to develop innovative solutions that ensure patients receive the treatments they need when they need them.

Building Resilience Through Diverse Partnerships

When the Belgian Presidency of the EU and the European Commission launched the Critical Medicines Alliance in April 2024, they created a platform for exactly this kind of cross-sector collaboration. Medochemie joined this initiative as one of many partners committed to strengthening Europe's pharmaceutical supply chains.

"The Critical Medicines Alliance is a consultative mechanism which brings together all relevant stakeholders, to identify priorities for action and propose solutions to strengthen the supply of critical medicines in the EU, to better prevent and combat their shortages," explains official documentation from the alliance.

What makes this partnership particularly powerful is its diversity. The alliance doesn't just bring pharmaceutical manufacturers to the table—it includes EU institutions, Member States, specialized agencies, local authorities, trade associations, and patient advocacy groups. This multifaceted approach recognizes that medicine shortages aren't simply a production problem but a complex challenge requiring coordination across the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Medochemie comes to this partnership with significant resources. The company operates 15 state-of-the-art production facilities—nine in Cyprus, one in the Netherlands, and five in Vietnam—all meeting European quality standards. With a presence in 122 countries, Medochemie's global reach complements its European manufacturing capabilities.

From Antibiotics to Emergency Medicines

The scope of medications involved in these shortage prevention efforts is extensive. Medochemie produces numerous medicines on the EU's critical list, including essential antibiotics like amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin. The portfolio extends to other vital medications such as carbamazepine for epilepsy, hydrocortisone for inflammatory conditions, the pain reliever paracetamol, and salbutamol for respiratory disorders.

Many of these medications have particular significance in combating antimicrobial resistance—a growing global health threat. "A lot of these critical medicines produced by Medochemie also play a key role in the fight against microbial resistance as they are old molecules facing less resistance by bacteria," notes Medochemie in its communications about the Critical Medicines Alliance.

This focus on established molecules highlights an important aspect of medicine security that often goes unrecognized. While newer treatments typically receive greater attention, many older generic medications form the foundation of everyday healthcare. In fact, generic medicines account for 70% of treatment volume in Europe while representing only 19% of the market value—a testament to their efficiency and importance.

Beyond Production: Creating Systemic Solutions

The collaborative approach to preventing shortages extends beyond simply manufacturing more medicines. The Critical Medicines Alliance has established specialized working groups focusing on distinct but complementary objectives: strengthening EU manufacturing capacities for critical medicines and diversifying international partnerships and cooperation.

Medochemie, alongside partners from across the pharmaceutical sector, contributes to developing a comprehensive shortage prevention strategy. This includes advocating for EU procurement guidance that rewards the security of supply rather than focusing exclusively on cost minimization. The strategy also supports greater use of real-time serialization data to monitor imbalances between demand and supply—essentially creating an early warning system for potential shortages.

The Alliance's Strategic Report, published in February 2025, outlines key vulnerabilities within Europe's pharmaceutical supply chains and recommends substantial investment in strategic projects. It addresses procurement policies while advocating for a harmonized framework of stockpiling requirements to ensure supply security.

From Competition to Cooperation

What makes these collaborative efforts particularly notable is the shift they represent from purely competitive market dynamics toward a more cooperative approach when public health is at stake. While pharmaceutical companies naturally compete in many aspects of their business, medicine shortages have emerged as an area where collaboration delivers better outcomes for all stakeholders—especially patients.

The Critical Medicines Alliance exemplifies this new paradigm. Its Steering Board includes representatives from Member States' Ministries of Health and Industry, patient and healthcare professionals' organizations, the Medicine Shortages Steering Group, and the European Medicines Agency. Companies, including Medochemie, Sandoz, Teva, Zentiva, and Viatris work alongside these public entities toward common objectives.

This cooperative spirit is perhaps best captured in the alliance's approach to stockpiling. Rather than encouraging competitive national stockpiling mandates that can exacerbate shortages in neighboring countries, the alliance advocates for "a coherent EU reserve policy" based on solidarity. This reflects an understanding that medicine security in one region cannot come at the expense of availability elsewhere.

Local Production with a Global Perspective

Founded in 1976 by Dr. Andreas Pittas, Medochemie has grown from its Cypriot roots to become a significant contributor to global pharmaceutical supply chains. Today, the company employs 2,000 people globally, with scientists comprising 45% of the workforce.

This combination of strong European manufacturing presence and global distribution networks positions Medochemie to bridge local production capabilities with international supply chain resilience. The company contributes 28.9% to Cyprus's industrial exports while simultaneously strengthening Europe's pharmaceutical manufacturing base.

As a founding member of the European Generics Association (now part of Medicines for Europe), Medochemie has long advocated for policies that support sustainable access to medicines. This organizational history provides valuable perspective to current collaborative efforts, connecting decades of experience with emerging challenges.

Technology and Transparency as Prevention Tools

Digital technologies have emerged as crucial tools in preventing medicine shortages. The European Medicines Verification System (EMVS), which enables real-time tracking of medicines, offers unprecedented visibility into supply chain dynamics. By monitoring demand patterns and inventory levels, stakeholders can identify potential shortages before they affect patients.

The Critical Medicines Alliance supports expanding the use of these digital tools, recognizing that transparency across the supply chain enables more effective coordination. When all participants—from manufacturers to distributors to healthcare providers—have access to the same data, they can respond more quickly to emerging challenges.

For Medochemie and other pharmaceutical manufacturers, this increased transparency also provides valuable insights for production planning. By understanding demand patterns across different regions, companies can allocate manufacturing capacity more efficiently, potentially preventing shortages before they occur.

Looking Ahead: From Alliance to Action

The momentum behind these collaborative efforts continues to build. In February 2025, the Critical Medicines Alliance convened its second Forum, bringing together over 300 participants to discuss strategic recommendations for bolstering the production of critical medicines within the European Union.

These discussions will inform the forthcoming Critical Medicines Act, which aims to formalize and strengthen Europe's commitment to medicine security. The act is expected to cover necessary investments in manufacturing technology, market policies that support diversification and supply chain resilience, and digital tools that enhance coordination.

For patients across Europe, these collaborative initiatives offer hope that the medications they depend on will remain available when needed. By bringing together diverse stakeholders with complementary capabilities—from manufacturing expertise to regulatory oversight to clinical perspective—the Critical Medicines Alliance creates a foundation for more resilient pharmaceutical supply chains.

Medochemie's participation in these efforts reflects both commercial wisdom and public health commitment. As the company continues to expand its global footprint while maintaining its European manufacturing base, its role in preventing medicine shortages demonstrates how pharmaceutical manufacturers can contribute to healthcare resilience through strategic partnerships and long-term vision.

In an increasingly interconnected world, where healthcare challenges transcend national borders, such collaboration may well represent the future of pharmaceutical supply chain management—one where competition and cooperation coexist in the service of public health.