Disease landscape

Lung cancer (NSCLC)

The GAP analysis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) revealed significant limitations in access to both diagnosis and treatment. The results range from 42 points in Slovakia to 62–65 points in Poland and Hungary. These differences are mainly driven by variation in the proportion of patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. It is noteworthy that in all V4 countries the reimbursement process does not keep pace with the very dynamic pace of new drug approvals. The reimbursement index, reflecting access to and restrictions on public funding, ranges from 18 to 38 points.

Cross-Country

General GAP for NSCLC

Poland

64.5

Hungary

62.3

Czechia

55.3

Slovakia

41.8

High Medium Low

Compliance with guidelines

Of the 31 drugs recommended by the ESMO clinical practice guidelines, 36-55% are available in the V4 countries. In almost every case, however, this is reimbursement with limitations.

From registration to reimbursement

Population burden

DALY* - Rate per 100k

*disability adjusted life-years

Target population

pd-1/pd-l1

Drug access

Number of patientS treated (2024)*

*Estimates for Hungary from 2023

Drug access

POPULATION treated pd-1/pd-l1 (%)

Main issues

The average time to reimbursement for NSCLC drugs in the V4 countries is more than 2.9 years. The difference between the shortest and the longest mean time to reimbursement among the countries is 1.7 years.
The proportion of patients in the target population treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor drugs in V4 countries varied widely between the V4 states in 2024: about 30% in Slovakia and Czechia up to over 75% in Poland.
The population burden defined by DALYs (disability adjusted life-years) in lung cancer is significant in all V4 countries.

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).

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