Europe's Medicine Access Lag: Key Findings from 2021 to 2024
The European pharmaceutical market is grappling with significant delays in patient access to new medicines, with a complex landscape exposed by analysis conducted by GlobalData. Over the period of 2021 to 2024, the focus has been on understanding key reimbursement trends and their impact on patient access across various European markets. According to Pharmaceutical Technology, disparities in access conditions remain a major industry challenge, showing few improvements over previous years.
Disparities in Access and Reimbursement
The study documented that, on average, only 58% of originator medicines—those approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2021-2024—were either fully or partially reimbursed across Europe. While the major five European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) managed to include a larger portion of these innovative drugs on their reimbursement lists, smaller markets like Cyprus and Lithuania lag far behind, bringing to light a stark disparity in patient access to new treatments.
The 5EU’s Leading Edge
In examining the reimbursement volume, the ‘5EU’ markets consistently outpaced their European counterparts, reimbursing new products at 2.7 times the European average. Recordati’s Cystadane, for instance, was approved centrally in 2007 but was only added to the reimbursement list in Poland by 2023. Such cases highlight how some medicines face delays spanning over a decade.
Unequal Time to Access
Furthermore, the time from market authorisation to patient access saw increases, worsening the lag and adding pressure on national budgets. Countries like Switzerland and Denmark were noted for substantial delays. Switzerland, acknowledging its “reimbursement gap,” is considering strategic reforms in hopes of narrowing access timeframes.
Countries Trying to Improve Access
Contrastingly, there are positive developments; countries including Norway and Portugal have reportedly made notable improvements, reducing time to reimbursement since 2020. Such progress evidences potential pathways to improving access conditions in the broader European context.
Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities
The article accentuates the uncertain future for Europe’s pharmaceutical market. With potential budgetary pressures looming, initiatives to streamline reimbursement processes and address cost-containment policies could shape the future of healthcare access. While progress has been made by some nations, the overall system’s sustainability remains questionable, requiring coherent strategies and international cooperation to address these disparities fully.
This comprehensive analysis is part of GlobalData’s effort to provide insightful intelligence into the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing, reimbursement, and policy developments across Europe.
