Adamed opens new R&D center; earmarks PLN 60 million on R&D in 2016

Polish pharmaceutical group Adamed has opened a new R&D center in Pieńków, north of Warsaw.  The group has spent PLN 900 million on R&D over the past 15 years and has earmarked PLN 60 million for 2016. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of high-ranking Polish government official, including Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Minister of Science Piotr Dardziński and Deputy Minister of Health Krzysztof Łanda. "One of the reasons we are able to devote so much to research this year was because of how well we were treated, as a Polish company, in price negotiations with the health ministry this year," said company CEO Małgorzata Adamkiewicz. However, she added that the tax incentives for innovative firms introduced in January 2016 are not yet ideal and promote predominantly small and medium-sized enterprises, while the majority of innovation comes from large firms. "75 percent of investment in Poland's pharmaceutical industry is made by two companies, and 30 percent of all the taxes are also paid by these two firms," she explained. She also said that in order to boost innovation in Poland, the government should implement solutions such as "Paten Box" (reducing or eliminating tax on revenues coming from the sale of patented goods or services). Deputy Minister Dardziński said that the three-year period of tax-deductible R&D expenditures for innovative start-ups was about to be extended to six years, and that Patent Box was "on the table." "I'd like the invisible hand of the market that we fell in love with in 1980s to be supported by the visible hand of the state," commented Deputy PM Morawiecki and added that the government will use all the tools at its disposal to boost R&D spending. The newly opened research center will focus on drugs used in oncology and neuropsychiatry.