Inequality in access to innovative drugs for rare diseases or cancer between Czech and German patients is becoming an increasing concern. Czech patients have to wait five times longer than their German counterparts, and only a portion of new and innovative drugs becomes available to them. This situation is affecting the availability of drugs for metastatic prostate cancer, and patients with intolerable headaches are also among those suffering from the situation.

According to a survey, a quarter of Czech patients received their first treatment two to five years after the onset of their symptoms. The situation is caused by several national and European factors. In some smaller Eastern EU member states, patients have access to only 10% of newly approved drug preparations, while patients in some larger Western EU member states have access to 90%. The European Commission aims to address the unequal system.

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Companies and Associations confirmed the issue in a report, which showed that from 2017 to 2020, 160 innovative drugs entered the EU market, and while the majority is available in Germany, only 88 can be obtained in the Czech Republic. The situation is particularly evident with drugs for rare oncological diseases, and among the 39 European countries analyzed, the Czech Republic ranks 11th in availability.

The unequal access to innovative drugs highlights the need for a more unified EU drug approval process and distribution network. While the situation has improved in recent years, much work still needs to be done to ensure that all EU patients have access to the latest and most effective treatments. The European Commission’s efforts to address the issue are a step in the right direction, but more action is needed to eliminate the disparities between EU member states.

David Kolar, the Executive Director of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry, noted that indicative and prescriptive limitations play an important role in determining which patients can access drugs and at what stage of their treatment. He added that the availability of drugs for rare diseases has been improving recently, but patients still wait an average of four years to access new medicines in the Czech Republic. The situation calls for the need for urgent action by policymakers, regulatory agencies, and industry stakeholders to ensure that all patients have timely access to innovative drugs.

Article by Prague Forum