Brain Health Matters: Unlocking Insights for Europe’s Future

Listen to the newest Brain Talks episode "Brain Health Matters: Unlocking Insights for Europe's Future" featuring insights from Isabel Klinnert, Director of Healthcare Global Government and Public Affairs at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany.

This episode tackles a critical question: How can Europe transform brain health from a policy aspiration into concrete action by 2030?

In this episode, host Frederic Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, explores:

🔹 The economic imperative: Why untreated brain conditions threaten Europe's productivity, social systems, and economic growth – and why getting brain health policies right is essential for European competitiveness.

🔹 The innovation challenge: How patient experience data and non-clinical outcomes can drive better innovation for brain health, and why rare neurological diseases like myasthenia gravis serve as critical test cases for healthcare system improvements.

🔹 The AI and digital opportunity: How artificial intelligence and the European Health Data Space can accelerate early detection, enable smarter clinical trials, and unlock cross-border data sharing – if implemented with the right safeguards and clarity.

🔹 The 2030 vision: Why Europe needs a comprehensive brain health plan (not just disease-specific strategies) and how upcoming frameworks like the Biotech Act and European Brain Partnership can support innovation and patient outcomes.

With key legislative milestones achieved in 2025 and transformative opportunities ahead, now is the moment to prioritise brain health alongside cancer and cardiovascular plans – ensuring that advocacy, innovation and collaboration drive meaningful change.