How would you describe the current state and key challenges of the pharmaceutical industry in Croatia and Europe?
The pharmaceutical industry in Europe and Croatia is undergoing a period of rapid change, driven by scientific advances, evolving regulation, and demographic pressures. On one hand, we see strong scientific progress and the development of therapies that can significantly extend and improve patients’ lives; on the other, there are enduring challenges linked to availability, regulatory processes, and demographic change, including ageing populations. Innovation has a real and measurable impact on patients’ lives, but for this impact to be fully realised, healthcare systems must enable faster and more equitable access to advanced therapies across all Member States, including Croatia.
What drives your company? What is your vision in the context of the Croatian market?
Our mission is simple: to enable patients to access innovative therapies that change the course of disease and improve quality of life. In Croatia, we want to be a partner to the healthcare system, share knowledge, contribute to sustainability and better care, and demonstrate that innovation is not an abstraction but a set of concrete solutions that improve treatment outcomes every day. What motivates me most is the fact that behind every medicine there is a real person — a family, a parent, a child, a patient with a serious diagnosis — and that innovation can make a difference of several years, or even decades, of quality life.
Zašto su inovacije toliko važne za hrvatske pacijente i zdravstveni sustav?
Innovative medicines enable longer, healthier, and more productive lives, which is extremely important for countries like Croatia that are facing significant demographic challenges. Innovation is not just an investment in health; it is a key response to demographic change. Faster access to advanced therapies means fewer hospitalisations, better control of chronic diseases and dementia, and a greater contribution by patients to society and the economy. It is an investment that repays itself many times over.
Croatia has a rapidly growing share of older people, which increases the burden of chronic diseases, malignant conditions, and dementia, and creates a greater need for therapies that slow disease progression and prolong independence. Innovative medicines enable patients to live longer and with better quality of life, which benefits both the healthcare system and society as a whole.
They are especially important for people with rare diseases, who often wait a long time for a diagnosis and have few therapeutic options. In such cases, innovation often represents the only realistic chance of improving outcomes, which makes faster and more predictable access critically important.
Innovation thus becomes a key response to demographic challenges and the foundation of a sustainable healthcare system.
How do you see future trends and opportunities for the Croatian healthcare system?
In the coming years, I expect an accelerated development of personalised medicine, the use of advanced therapies, and even more intensive digitalisation of healthcare. I also believe that early access models for medicines will become standard, so that therapies can reach patients more quickly. Croatia has the potential to be an example of how innovation can be implemented responsibly and sustainably — with a clear strategy, cross‑sector collaboration, and continuous investment in education and transparency.
