Uptake of New Cancer Medicines in Europe Still Varies

Regulatory approval does not put a new cancer medicine in patients’ hands. Uptake of new cancer medicines in Europe still varies widely, according to a guest blog on the EFPIA website by Thomas Hofmarcher, Research Director at the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE). The blog draws on the IHE Comparator Report on Cancer in Europe 2025.

Uptake of new cancer medicines in Europe is still uneven

Uptake is measured as milligrams used per cancer case. In 2023 it was highest in Austria and Switzerland and lowest in Latvia and Poland. Germany ranks first in the EFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator Survey, yet it placed only fifth on uptake. Across twelve cancer types and product classes, the gap between the highest- and lowest-uptake countries was three-fold in 2023, down from more than five-fold in 2018.

The gap is narrowing, and the old East-West split is less clear. Slovenia has caught up fast, while Portugal and the Netherlands have slipped toward the lower end of the ranking. The blog argues that these differences now reflect national policy choices and system capacity more than geography and wealth alone.

Why it matters

For access and HEOR teams, a favourable reimbursement environment does not guarantee uptake. Germany is the example. The blog lists what has to follow reimbursement: aligned coverage of medicines and companion diagnostics, diagnostic capacity, workforce training, current national guidelines and budgets for every eligible patient. These are implementation questions, and they decide whether approved treatments reach patients.

Source: EFPIA guest blog, “From approval to access: Why uptake of new cancer medicines still varies across Europe” by Thomas Hofmarcher (IHE), 8 October 2026