Access to pharmaceuticals: the EU picture

There are growing concerns among European payers about the rising costs of new medicines especially for cancer and those for orphan diseases, exacerbated by the emotive nature of these disease areas –balanced against continued unmet need▪This is despite the limited health gain of most new medicines coupled with the low cost of goods of most including biological medicines. Alongside this, CEE countries are struggling to fund biological medicines for immunological diseases at Euro 1000 –1500/ patient/ month –although easier with biosimilars ▪This is leading to developments including new models for new medicines incorporating new pricing approaches for orphan diseases, calls for greater transparency in price negotiations with concerns with MEAs, development of European collaborations and position statements (EURODIS), and greater use of low cost generics and biosimilars