Disease landscape
Multiple Sclerosis
Sigificant restrictions in access to multiple sclerosis treatment and diagnosis have been identified in the Visegrád Group (V4) countries as measured in the GAP score. Results vary moderately from country to country and the difference between the highest and the lowest scoring country is 12 points. The main reason for the relatively unfavourable assessment is very low percentage of patients treated with sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators in all the V4 countries.
Cross-Country
General GAP for Multiple Sclerosis
Compliance with guidelines
Positive recommendations for 12 multiple sclerosis drugs were found in clinical practice guidelines and almost all of them (9-11 drugs) are available to multiple sclerosis patients in every V4 country.
From registration to reimbursement
Population burden
DALY* - Rate per 100k
*disability adjusted life-years
Target population
Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators 2ND generation
Drug access
Number of patients treated (2023)
Drug access
Population treated (%)*
Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators (2g)
*percentage of the population potentially eligible for treatment with S1P 2G
Main issues
- The average time to reimbursement for multiple sclerosis drugs in the V4 countries is more than 2.2 years. The difference between the shortest and the longest mean time to reimbursement among the countries is 1.8 year.
- Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators’ reimbursement was implemented in 2021-2022 in V4 states an and in 2023 the share of the target population treated with these preparations remained very low (3-11% of potential patients) across the region.
- Population burden in V4 states is much lower than the European Union average. A decreasing trend or stabilization of DALY values was observed in V4 states in past years.
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).