EHDS and Pharma: Impact on R&D and Unresolved Challenges

EHDS and Pharma: Impact on R&D and Unresolved Challenges

From Faces of Digital Health by Tjasa Zajc

March 19, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the European Health Data Space and its implications for the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare innovation.

1 view Mar 19, 2026 In-person video interviewsThe European Health Data Space (EHDS) isn't just a new regulation—it’s a "Magna Carta" for healthcare innovation. In this interview from the Smart Bridges Event, we sit down with industry expert Dennis Geisthardt, Head of digital.lab, to break down the implementation timeline (2025–2031) and what it means for the pharmaceutical industry, medtech, and patients across Europe. We dive into the "Countdown to 2027," the challenges of intellectual property vs. data sharing, and how opening up access to clinical data could finally unlock breakthroughs for rare diseases and personalized medicine. In this video, you’ll learn: The 3 major milestones of EHDS implementation (2027, 2029, 2031). Why "Primary Use" vs. "Secondary Use" of data matters for your healthcare. The risks and rewards for the private sector and Big Pharma. How EHDS could revolutionize market access (AMNOG) and AI-driven drug discovery. 00:30 – Introduction: The Smart Bridges Event 03:45 – Why EHDS is a 100-year milestone for healthcare 04:30 – The role of the private sector in co-creating the framework 04:10 – What is EHDS? Primary vs. Secondary data use explained 05:00 – The…

People in this episode

Host: Tjasa Zajc

Guest: Dennis Geisthardt

Topics covered

  • European Health Data Space
  • pharmaceutical industry
  • data sharing
  • healthcare innovation
  • market access
  • AI-driven drug discovery
  • rare diseases

Keywords

  • EHDS
  • data use
  • intellectual property
  • clinical data
  • personalized medicine
  • healthcare regulation
  • drug discovery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: digital.lab, Big Pharma, AMNOG

Books & works: Magna Carta

Places: Europe

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