Accessibility and Time to Reimbursement of Treatments With Substantial Benefit: A Comparative Analysis Focused on Inequalities Between Different European Countries and Different Tumor Types
Author(s)
Thomas Buijsman, MSc1, Max van Wijk, MSc2, Carin Uyl-De Groot, Sr., PhD3, Vivianne Tjan-Heijnen, MD, PhD4, Anne Sinke, MSc, PhD1.
1Gilead Sciences Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2IQVIA, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3ESHPM/iMTA Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 4Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
1Gilead Sciences Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2IQVIA, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3ESHPM/iMTA Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 4Maastricht UMC+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: Timely access to innovative, effective therapies is essential for improving patient outcomes. The EFPIA Patient W.A.I.T. indicator highlight disparities in treatment accessibility across Europe. However, analyses focusing on treatments with substantial clinical benefit are currently lacking. This research compares the accessibility and time to reimbursement (TTR) of systemic cancer treatments for the most prevalent solid tumor types that demonstrated substantial benefit.
METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, publicly available data were extracted on the outcomes of health technology assessments (HTA) and/or reimbursement information from 7 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden). Included were drug-indication combinations for the treatment of breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancer that received EU marketing authorization between January 2016 and December 2023 and have demonstrated substantial benefit per ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS).
RESULTS: 49 drug-indication combinations with substantial benefit were identified for lung (26), breast (15, prostate (5) and colorectal cancer (3). Accessibility was the highest in Germany (100%) and the lowest in Denmark (67%) and the Netherlands (71%), with differences observed across tumor types. Among reimbursed drug-indication combinations, the TTR across all countries was 355 days and ranged from 41 days in Germany to 574 days in France. The TTR increased over time and differed across tumor types in most countries. The TTR of breast cancer therapies was substantially longer compared to the TTR of lung cancer therapies in the Netherlands (377 versus 234 days), Denmark (433 versus 289 days), and Sweden (434 versus 223 days).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate differences in the accessibility and, for certain countries, increasing delays in reimbursement of oncology treatments with substantial benefit. It provides important insights into inequities with regards to timely access to innovative treatments across Europe.
METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, publicly available data were extracted on the outcomes of health technology assessments (HTA) and/or reimbursement information from 7 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden). Included were drug-indication combinations for the treatment of breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancer that received EU marketing authorization between January 2016 and December 2023 and have demonstrated substantial benefit per ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS).
RESULTS: 49 drug-indication combinations with substantial benefit were identified for lung (26), breast (15, prostate (5) and colorectal cancer (3). Accessibility was the highest in Germany (100%) and the lowest in Denmark (67%) and the Netherlands (71%), with differences observed across tumor types. Among reimbursed drug-indication combinations, the TTR across all countries was 355 days and ranged from 41 days in Germany to 574 days in France. The TTR increased over time and differed across tumor types in most countries. The TTR of breast cancer therapies was substantially longer compared to the TTR of lung cancer therapies in the Netherlands (377 versus 234 days), Denmark (433 versus 289 days), and Sweden (434 versus 223 days).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate differences in the accessibility and, for certain countries, increasing delays in reimbursement of oncology treatments with substantial benefit. It provides important insights into inequities with regards to timely access to innovative treatments across Europe.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
HPR16
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Reimbursement & Access Policy
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, Oncology