Comparison of Availability of New Cancer Medicines between Seven Countries

OBJECTIVES:

DeIays and inequalities in availability of novel cancer medicines are seen worldwide. Learning the factors that contributed to the time gap in marketing authorization and reimbursement between countries leads to more clarity to decision-making. We aimed to investigate a differences in availability of new cancer medicines in seven countries (Canada, UK, France, Poland, Turkey, Russia, and Kazakhstan).

METHODS:

This study examines where novel cancer medicines were assessed for Kazakhstani approval and determines how commonly and quickly these medicines received marketing approval in the other countries. In order to comprehend the underlying causes for any disparities, a thorough examination was conducted to evaluate both the regulatory environment and the opportunities for market entry.

RESULTS:

We compared approval time and reimbursement time of novel cancer medicines in seven countries for 129 novel cancer medicines granted marketing authorization between 2013 and 2022 in Kazakhstan. We find considerable delays in the approval of novel cancer medicines in Kazakhstan in comparison with access in the other countries. Of the 129 medicines approved in Kazakhstan, regulatory approval was granted an average from 1257 days earlier in France and to 404 days earlier in Turkey. Reimbursement time in Kazakhstan also was significantly later, from 1552 days delay compare with Canada to 558 days delay compare with Turkey. Therefore, regulatory approvals and reimbursement decisions were faster in high-income countries than in upper-middle-income countries.

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients in Kazakhstan can wait longer than patients in other countries to get access to the same medicine. The more important factor in explaining these delays in approval of new medicines in Kazakhstan is the difference in the dates on which manufacturers submitted new medicines for regulatory approval. Factors are also having a certain significance were late initiation of market access assessment, duplicative evidence requirements, listing decisions and reimbursement delays.