Jessica Davis Plüss

Expertise: Multinationals, workplace, gender equality, and the occasional story about Swiss immigrants in the US. Initials: jdp

Jessica covers the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to big global companies and their impact in Switzerland and abroad. She’s always looking for a Swiss connection with her native San Francisco and will happily discuss why her hometown has produced some of the greatest innovations but can’t seem to solve its housing crisis.

English Department

Swiss pharmacies brace for shake-up as deregulation looms

This content was published on Dec 9, 2024 Local pharmacies in many parts of the world are disappearing but Switzerland has so far escaped unscathed. Why?

Corporate efforts to expand access to medicine stumble

This content was published on Nov 19, 2024 Swiss firm Novartis tops the Access to Medicine Index for the first time. But the pharma industry still lags in making their medicine available to the poorest.

Is Switzerland as innovative as it ranks?

This content was published on Nov 12, 2024 Switzerland consistently tops rankings of the most innovative countries. What’s behind its success?

Trump presidency to test public trust in Big Pharma

This content was published on Nov 8, 2024 A second Trump presidency risks eroding public trust in the pharmaceutical industry if science, trade and public health are sidelined.

Roche’s big bet on big diseases

This content was published on Oct 20, 2024 Swiss pharma giant Roche is the latest company to refocus its R&D investment on diseases like obesity that weigh heavily on healthcare budgets.

Medicines regulators weigh hope and hype with new Alzheimer’s drugs

This content was published on Sep 30, 2024 Swissmedic is expected to decide on the approval of the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in two decades. The decision won’t be easy.

Gender medicine is also good for men

This content was published on Sep 13, 2024 Efforts to bring gender diversity to drug development aren't just good for women’s health. They will also benefit men.

Rarely are clinical trial results broken down by sex and gender and reported publicly. When they are, differences in the efficacy and safety for men and women are rarely considered in the approval and prescribing information for drugs.

Drugmakers are finally making medicine for women

This content was published on Sep 13, 2024 Sex and gender are rarely considered in drug development. There’s now a movement, including in Switzerland, to change this.

a pharmacists in Japan, woman in a white lab coat standing between the shelves in a drugstore. Pharmaceutical industry

Japan tries to win back Big Pharma

This content was published on Aug 16, 2024 Japan is increasingly being overlooked by international drugmakers when launching new medicine. Now, the government is fighting back.

Fiasco for democracy? Switzerland miscalculates by billions

This content was published on Aug 6, 2024 Swiss politicians warn a series of calculation errors is endangering public trust in one of the most trusted governments in the world.

Battling the rising tide of fake medicine

This content was published on Jul 4, 2024 Sales of counterfeit drugs are booming around the world, putting thousands of lives at risk. Why is it so hard to stem the tide of fake medicine?

What’s behind Switzerland’s push for drug-pricing secrecy?

This content was published on Jun 18, 2024 The Swiss parliament is considering measures on drug pricing that are drawing the ire of some health experts.

Swiss voters reject limits on healthcare spending

This content was published on Jun 9, 2024 Two initiatives to tackle rising healthcare costs in Switzerland failed at the ballot box on Sunday.

Big pharma’s growing China ties under threat from US crackdown

This content was published on Jun 7, 2024 Swiss pharma companies are bracing for a US crackdown on Chinese biotech firms.

Swiss Post sets out to reinvent the post office

This content was published on May 31, 2024 Swiss Post is one of the most lauded institutions in Switzerland, which is why efforts to reinvent it face some scepticism.

Big Pharma steps up race for AI-discovered drugs

This content was published on May 30, 2024 AI is speeding up drug discovery but bringing an AI-discovered drug to market won't happen overnight.

Turkey vs. Zolgensma: the battle over a $2.1 million drug

This content was published on Apr 26, 2024 Turkey and Novartis are in a stand-off over approval of Zolgensma - a $2.1 million gene therapy.

What the EU crackdown on supply chains means for Swiss companies

This content was published on Apr 25, 2024 The EU's new rules on human rights abuses in supply chains will have far-reaching impacts in Switzerland.

How drug prices are negotiated in Switzerland and beyond

This content was published on Apr 23, 2024 Switzerland's pharmaceutical sector supplies drugs worldwide, but not all countries receive them with the same price tag. Here's why.

Drug pricing: Swiss expert calls for more transparency

This content was published on Apr 23, 2024 As more multi-million-dollar drugs come on the market, there are growing calls for transparency on drug pricing.