cyprus medicines — cyprus medicines — Cyprus lags behind the EU on access to new medicines, with only 66 out of 168 innovative treatments approved by EU authorities between 2021 and 2024 available on the island, according to a recent survey by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (Efpia).
The survey highlighted significant discrepancies in both the availability of medicinal products and the time taken for them to reach the market. Across the EU and the European Economic Area, an average of 76 products were available, reflecting a 45 per cent availability rate. In contrast, Cyprus fell below this average.
During the same period, the Patients Wait Indicator revealed that the median time for new medicines to become available in the EU was 532 days. This varied significantly, with Germany leading at just 56 days, while Romania lagged at 1,201 days. Cyprus recorded a time of 416 days, slightly better than the EU average.
Cyprus medicines: Limited Access to Cancer Treatments
For cancer treatments specifically, the situation is somewhat better, with 32 out of 56 approved products available in Cyprus. However, the Cyprus Association of Research and Development Pharmaceutical Companies (Kefea) pointed out that this still places the island at 21st out of the 36 countries surveyed.
Challenges in Accessing Medicines
One of the concerning statistics is that 92 per cent of the available products in Cyprus were subject to special procedures or restricted access, a stark contrast to Germany, where all approved products enjoyed unrestricted access.
This disparity in access highlights ongoing challenges in the regulatory landscape. Efpia noted that the root causes for the unavailability and delays in accessing new medicines are complex and multifactorial. Issues range from slow regulatory processes to misalignment in evidence requirements and budget constraints faced by member states.
Recommendations for Improvement
To address these challenges, Efpia recommends a transformative shift in how new medicines are handled post-approval. The organisation suggests that patients should gain access to new treatments as soon as they are approved, while national Health Technology Assessment and reimbursement processes are conducted within an agreed timeframe of 180 days. This ‘Day 1 access’ approach could significantly reduce the delays currently faced by patients awaiting treatment.
Additionally, Efpia emphasised that improving access to medicines across Europe would require increased spending. Currently, Europe invests around 1 per cent of its GDP on pharmaceuticals, compared to 2 per cent in the United States and 1.8 per cent in China.
