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20-07-2020

Every day counts

The unprecedented speed of innovation in oncology provides an important opportunity for further improvement of outcomes for cancer patients. Yet, no value is derived from innovation if patients for whom a new therapy is intended cannot have access to it. In fact, tremendous differences exist in patient access to innovative oncology treatments with in Europe.

Improving time to patient access

This report brings stakeholders across Europe together around opportunities to improve time to patient access for innovative, value-adding oncology therapies. It focusses on reducing European inequalities in terms of delays in ensuring reimbursement and delays in ensuring actual access once reimbursement is in place.

Infographic-every-day-counts-improving-time-to-patient-access-to-innovative-oncology-therapies-in-europe_from EFPIA_and_Vintura2
Infographic: This infographic shows the last milestones of the process: Authorisations, Market Access and Patient Access

The report is the result of a collaborative approach by health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, healthcare professional associations, patient organisations, policy makers, former politicians, payers and pharmaceutical companies. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive and unbiased overview of challenges and solutions, thereby moving away from polarised debates which often occur nowadays.

It describes the ten factors delaying time to patient access and six priority areas to address these delays. In each of these priority areas, a concerted effort is needed. It is not a matter of individual stakeholders taking responsibility within their respective areas of work. It requires stakeholders to break through comfort zones and to actively look for common ground with other stakeholders.

To reduce the important inequalities in patient access between European countries we need to find this common ground and a common perspective. Because all stakeholders are part of the current system and none of the stakeholders involved can solve today’s challenges single-handedly.

We need a collaborative approach now. Because for patients, every day counts.

THE PUBLICATION IS ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS:

  • Association of Medical Oncologists (AIOM), Italy
  • Association of Oncology Nurses (AEOP), Portugal
  • Central and Eastern European Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care (CEESTAHC)
  • Digestive Cancers Europe (DICE)
  • European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM)
  • European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC)
  • European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)
  • European Patients’ Academy (EUPATI), Portugal
  • European Union of Private Hospitals (EUHP)
  • EVITA – Hereditary Cancer, Portugal
  • Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin VZW, Belgium
  • Lymphoma Coalition Europe (LCE)
  • Youth Cancer Europe (YCE)
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