"Who Controls Innovation?" (4/5) Price vs. value: the affordability crisis in pharmaceutical innovation

Épisode de Pharma Minds par Nathalie Lahitte · 20 avril 2026 · 26 min

“Innovation is not necessarily a technological breakthrough. It’s anything that prevents, cures, or improves quality of life.” — Benoît Escoffier

Welcome to Pharma Minds, in this series “Who controls innovation?”, we explore one question in two parts: who controls innovation - and who actually makes it happen.

Pharmaceutical innovation exists under constant tension. There is a relentless push-and-pull between access for patients, affordability for public systems, and economic sustainability for companies. So, how do we balance societal expectations with the economic reality of innovation? And what role should pharmaceutical companies play in that balance?

In this episode, we tackle this complex equation with Benoît Escoffier. At the time of this recording, he was the General Manager of Daiichi Sankyo France, and he has since been appointed Head of Oncology Value, Access & Pricing Europe & Canada, making this unfiltered discussion about the future of pharma even more relevant today. With over 20 years of global experience, Benoît advocates for a new pharmaceutical model: one built for, and with, society.

In this episode, we cover:

◾️Redefining Innovation: Moving beyond mere technological breakthroughs to focus on real patient impact, including advancements in oncology (like ADCs).

◾️Price vs. Value: A critical look at why the current economic model is too focused on cost and fails to properly evaluate a drug's true collective benefit.

◾️Corporate Citizenship: How the pharmaceutical industry can align business performance with strong social responsibility (CSR) and civic engagement.

◾️Global Challenges: Navigating the acceleration of the industry amidst AI advancements, geopolitical shifts, and budget instability.

◾️The Human Element: A candid discussion on leadership, individual responsibility, and leaving a positive legacy in healthcare.

If price reflects value, who ultimately defines that value? Governments? Patients? Industry?

👉 Who do you think should define the value of a medicine? Let us know in the comments.

Next time, we move from cutting-edge oncology to mature medicines—where access depends less on price and more on production viability.

Note: Many thanks to Daiichi Sankyo for supporting this episode, allowing us to open the dialogue on innovation and health challenges. The editorial line and guest selection remain entirely independent.

Science creates hope. Reality decides impact. If you want to follow the whole series, don't forget to subscribe!

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This episode has been translated with the help of AI tools.

Originally released on: 13rd October 2025.

To listen to the original French version of this episode: https://smartlink.ausha.co/pharma-minds/43-faut-il-reinventer-le-modele-economique-de-la-pharma-le-regard-lucide-de-benoit-escoffier

Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

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Bienvenue dans Pharma minds, le podcast qui vous emmène dans une aventure captivante à travers la Pharma et la Santé d'aujourd'hui ! Je suis votre hôte, Nathalie Lahitte. Mon objectif ? Découvrir comment des personnalités influentes ont contribué à façonner ce secteur. À chaque épisode, nous…

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