Industry corner: Perspectives and controversies - The challenges of patient access to new medicines

Abstract

In this Industry Corner article, we describe the experience with nintedanib in combination with docetaxel, which was first approved in the European Union in 2014 for the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) of adenocarcinoma histology after first-line chemotherapy. In therapeutic indications such as NSCLC, where there is a clear unmet medical need, delayed patient access to new therapies following regulatory approval is a significant challenge. Although nintedanib in combination with docetaxel has satisfied the obligation of meeting a medical need, as noted by successfully receiving European Medicines Agency approval and passing several HTA evaluations, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and by demand for patient access to nintedanib via the CUP/ NPP, patients across Europe are not gaining equal access to this new therapy due to varying reimbursement procedures.