Disease landscape
Breast Cancer
In the V4 countries, a moderate level of restrictions was identified in access to both diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer assessed together. Overall GAP results in analysed countries are varying from 45 to 64 points. The overall score is mainly influenced by the low proportion of patients treated with modern conjugates, the benchmark for the use of innovative therapies in breast cancer in this edition. The low proportion of patients treated with these drugs is either due to the lack of reimbursement or the limitations of their reimbursement indications in 2023.
Cross-Country
General GAP for Breast Cancer
Compliance with guidelines
On average, 78% of the 17 drugs recommended by the ESMO guidelines are available in V4 countries. The evaluated treatments are most widely available in the Czech Republic, where 94% of modern ESMO-recommended medicines are publicly financed(in part, however, though relatively small EAP programmes).
From registration to reimbursement
Population burden
DALY* - Rate per 100k
*disability adjusted life-years
Target population
novel conjugates
Drug access
Number of patients treated (2023)
Drug access
POPULATION treated with novel conjugates (%)
*percantege of the population potentially eligible for treatment with novel conjugates
Main issues
- The average time to reimbursement for breast cancer drugs in the V4 countries is almost 3.1 years. The difference between the shortest and the longest mean time to reimbursement among the countries is 1.9 years.
- In 2023 only about 2% of patients potentially suitable for novel conjugates were treated with those drugs in the V4 countries.
- In all V4 countries, there is a significant population burden, assessed with disability adjusted life-years, related to breast cancer.
Project
We measured the gap in innovative drug access and diagnostics in selected therapeutic areas in the Visegrád (V4) countries (Poland, Hungary, Czechia and Slovakia).