EFPIA says Europe still divided on medicines access

New figures from the European Federation of pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) paint a stark picture of the growing divide in access to innovative medicines across the European Union, with patients in some countries waiting more than seven times longer than others for the same treatment.

According to the latest Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator, just 46% of new medicines approved by the European Medicines Agency between 2020 and 2023 were available to patients through national systems. Public reimbursement was even rarer, covering only 29% of those products — down from 42% in 2019.

The average time from EU approval to patient access has risen to 578 days, up more than a month compared to last year. Patients in Germany wait 128 days on average — the shortest time in Europe — while those in Portugal now face delays of around 840 days.