Current study reveals hurdles in accessing innovative therapies in private practice. At the same time, research has a positive effect on this approach.
Innovative therapies can only work if they are accessible to patients. Where this is prevented by barriers in the reimbursement system, we urgently need this system to be further developed to make it more innovation-friendly.
Mag. Alexander Herzog, Secretary General of PHARMIG
Vienna (OTS) – A current study by the Economica Institute for Economic Research compares the proportion of innovative therapies that are available to patients in Germany and Austria without barriers to access. She also examines the connection between drug development – keyword clinical trials – and access to these therapies. It turns out that innovative therapies in the hospital sector are equally available in both countries. In Austria, on the other hand, only a third of these therapies can be prescribed freely outside of hospitals, in private practice, or with the approval of a chief physician. Alexander Herzog, Secretary General of PHARMIG, says: “Innovative therapies can only work if they are accessible to patients. Where this is prevented by barriers in the reimbursement system, we urgently need this system to be further developed to make it more innovation-friendly.” The simultaneous realization that there is better access to innovative therapies where research is carried out must be seen as an incentive for more research in Austria.
The study was commissioned by PHARMIG member company Bristol Myers Squibb. The patent-protected innovative therapies that were approved by the European Regulatory Authority (EMA) between 2016 and 2022 serve as the database. In total these are 267 products. Vaccinations, contraceptives, diagnostics, combinations of old active ingredients and products that were only added to the product list in 2023 were not taken into account. The majority of therapies included in the study are for cancer treatment. Overall, these have better access than other therapeutic areas where the hurdles are greater due to the reimbursement status.
In the private practice sector, i.e. outside the hospital sector, only a third of the 267 therapies can be prescribed freely or with the approval of a chief physician. The rest have to overcome enormous hurdles or are not reimbursed at all. Herzog says: “Originally, the aim of the box system, which indicates reimbursement in private practice, was to take into account the innovative benefits of a new drug therapy. However, the way it is applied is no longer suitable for today’s times. The system is too rigid in use to be able to keep up with the dynamic developments in the pharmaceutical sector. Only if it is modernized can innovative medicines as well as the tried and tested ones be made fully accessible to patients.”
The study not only gives rise to a mandate that the Austrian reimbursement system must be strengthened to be more innovative. It also shows how valuable it is when Austria gets involved in drug development. According to the study, half of the innovative medications considered that are included in the reimbursement code were developed with Austrian participation. “We see this as an indication that the probability of bringing a new drug into the reimbursement code is higher if it is ‘Made in’ or ‘Made with Austria’,” said Herzog.
What is obviously beneficial for reimbursement is also worthwhile overall for the location. Study centers and university institutions where drug development takes place generate valuable know-how. The patients, the practitioners and the respective facilities themselves benefit from this in terms of their international reputation. “Research pays off across the board,” sums up Herzog.
A short presentation of the study results is available here: Access to medical innovations in Austria – Economica GmbH
About PHARMIG: PHARMIG is the voluntary interest group of the Austrian pharmaceutical industry. The association currently has around 120 members (as of February 2024), who cover a good 95 percent of the medication market. PHARMIG and its member companies stand for the best possible security of supply of medicines in the healthcare system and ensure social and medical progress through quality and innovation.
Questions & Contact:
PHARMIG – Association of the Austrian Pharmaceutical Industry Peter Richter, BA MA MBA Head of Communications & PR +43 664 8860 5264 peter.richter@pharmig.at www.pharmig.at
Inquiry note about the Economica study: ECONOMICA Institute for Economic Research Dr. Martin Gleitsmann +43 664 4638 372 martin.gleitsmann@economica.eu
