Comparator report on patient access to cancer medicines in Europe revisited

Great inequalities in access to cancer medicines

In a new report, the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE) compares the cancer situation in EU28 plus Norway and Switzerland. The report builds on a previous comparative study conducted in 2005 and provides a comprehensive view of the development of cancer in Europe over the past two decades.

The report shows that the number of people diagnosed with cancer continue to increase in Europe, up by 30 percent between 1995 and 2012 due to a growing and aging population. Despite this growth and an increased spending on cancer medicines the overall spending on cancer care has remained stable at around six percent of total health expenditure largely due to a shift towards outpatient care.

The report also concludes that there is great difference in access to medicines, in particular between richer and poorer countries but also between countries with similar purchasing power. The access problem requires collaboration between policy makers, payers, regulators, HTA bodies and manufacturers. Local solutions seem most feasible to balance the risk and reward of new treatment options between payers and manufacturers and reflect the affordability levels of different countries.

The report has been funded by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca, J&J, MSD, Novartis and Roche coordinated by EFPIA.