Making sense of medicine access

On Public Day in Brussels, the World Bladder Cancer Patient Forum 2025 hosted “Making sense of medicine access,” a practical, multi-stakeholder conversation on how promising science becomes real treatment for real people. Moderated by Lauren Pretorius (Campaigning for Cancer), the session brought together Mihai Rotaru (EFPIA) and Robert Sauermann (Austrian Federation of Social Insurances) to unpack where and why access stalls, and how to fix it.

Lauren opened the session by reminding participants that innovation only matters when it reaches patients. She described access as a human rights issue, highlighting the importance of understanding each step from drug approval to reimbursement and delivery.

Mihai shared EFPIA data showing major differences across Europe in how quickly and widely patients can access new cancer medicines. He pointed to a growing “grey zone” of partial access, through narrow indications or private routes, that undermines equity. Most delays, he noted, are linked to lengthy national pricing and reimbursement processes, not a lack of company launches. He suggested solutions such as stronger evidence packages, earlier dialogue with payers, and wider use of outcome-based agreements.

Robert outlined Austria’s approach, which aims to balance access with sustainability. Many new therapies, he explained, are approved with limited data, creating uncertainty. Austria manages this through staged pricing, managed entry agreements, real-world data collection, and regular reassessment. He emphasised the importance of patient organisations sharing insights on meaningful outcomes and everyday realities to support better decisions.

Participants discussed how policies such as external reference pricing can create delays when countries wait for others to set prices, often harming timely access in lower-income countries. The discussion highlighted the need for joint assessments and pragmatic data plans designed with patients in mind, as well as more transparent collaboration among all stakeholders.

Lauren closed the session with a message to patient advocates: learn how access works in your country, participate in health technology assessment and pricing discussions, and ensure that patient experiences and needs are represented. Real change, she said, depends on all parties working together to reduce uncertainty, share risk fairly, and deliver innovation to patients faster and more equitably.