Switzerland fails to achieve a top position in the European comparison. In terms of full access to new, innovative medicines, Switzerland ranks only 6th. For medicines to treat rare diseases, it even falls to 9th place. This is shown by a new analysis of the «EFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator» study by the market research institute IQVIA for Switzerland. Patient representatives and industry warn of the consequences for Swiss patients if the situation deteriorates.
Switzerland rightly claims to have one of the best healthcare systems in the world. However, access to innovative medicines is not at its best. There are sometimes long waiting periods, and reimbursement is not always guaranteed. Patients often find themselves in difficult situations, along with their treating doctors. The approval and reimbursement process poses an increasingly significant hurdle for the pharmaceutical industry.
This is confirmed by the current «EFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator» study by the market research institute IQVIA, the largest European study into innovative medicines availability and the time to patient access. For the first time, a detailed Swiss analysis of the data was presented at a press conference.
Switzerland only ranks 6th in full access to new, innovative medicines
The study finds that of the 167 innovative medicines approved in Europe between 2019 and 2022, only 48% are fully available to Swiss patients, meaning they are included on the specialities list and thus regularly reimbursed by health insurance. This places Switzerland 6th in the European comparison—behind Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Austria. Another 22% of innovative medicines are approved in Switzerland but only available on a case-by-case reimbursement basis (Art. 71a-b KVV). In terms of full access to medicines for rare diseases, so-called orphan products, Switzerland even falls to 9th place. Only 29% of the 63 orphan products approved in Europe between 2019 and 2022 are fully available in Switzerland.
More than half of the products without Swissmedic approval are medicines for the treatment of rare diseases
For a medicine to be reimbursed in Switzerland, it must be approved by Swissmedic and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) must decide to include it on the specialities list. Already at the first hurdle, the Swiss approval, 30% of the 167 EU approvals are missing. These have either not (yet) been approved by Swissmedic or have not (yet) been submitted for approval by the manufacturer. More than half of all products that have not (yet) been approved or submitted (57%) between 2014 and 2022 are orphan products, i.e., medicines for the treatment of rare diseases.
In Germany, 94% of the products also approved by Swissmedic are fully available, in Switzerland it is only 68%
But even of the 117 products that have been approved by Swissmedic, only 68% are fully available in Switzerland. Germany remains the leader with 94% full availability for these products as well. The particular problem of full availability of medicines for rare diseases continues here: full availability of orphan products is 45%.
Florian Saur: ««It is unfair when people in Constance have immediate access to a new therapy, but not in Kreuzlingen.»»
For Florian Saur, Country President of AstraZeneca Switzerland, the results highlight injustices that urgently need to be addressed: «Our top priority is that every patient in Switzerland receives the best possible treatment. Innovative therapies not only contribute to longer life and better quality of life but can also reduce the overall costs of the healthcare system and save personnel resources, for example by reducing hospital stays.»
Saur points to other countries like Germany: they show that it is possible to treat patients quickly and cost-effectively with new medicines. ««While in Switzerland it sometimes takes years before regular reimbursement is granted, in Germany new medicines are reimbursed for everyone and without additional restrictions from the day of their approval.» Florian Saur is confident that Switzerland can also achieve this and that it is in the particular interest of sick people and their treating physicians. However, this would require new solutions for approval and reimbursement. ««It is unfair when people in Constance have immediate access to a new therapy, but not in Kreuzlingen.»
Yvonne Feri: «It is essential that patients are directly and routinely involved in the processes.»
Yvonne Feri, President of ProRaris, the umbrella organization for patient organizations of people with a rare disease, pointed out as a guest speaker that the hurdles for approval and reimbursement of medicines for rare diseases are even higher: «If a company manufactures a medicine for a very small patient group, it must carefully consider whether the very large and complex effort required for Swiss approval is really worth it.» Furthermore, it often takes years for regular reimbursement via the specialities list to be granted—if at all.
Although the exception of case-by-case reimbursement exists, the problem is that «this regulation, which should actually be an exception, has increasingly become the rule in recent years. Doctors have to submit more and more complex applications to health insurance companies, which leaves patients and their families living in constant uncertainty.» Solutions can best be found together with those affected, emphasizes Yvonne Feri. «It is essential that patients are directly and routinely involved in the processes. This ultimately benefits all parties involved, as it improves the quality of the measures to be taken.»
René Buholzer: «Proposals are on the table to allow patients immediate access from approval without additional costs. Administration and politics are now called upon.»
As another guest speaker, René Buholzer, CEO of Interpharma, insists on rapid political action: «Switzerland has a serious access problem to medicines, which has worsened in recent years. This is unacceptable for patients who rely on quick and equal access to approved medicines.»
Because the process of price setting and reimbursement at the FOPH takes longer and longer, and the framework conditions are increasingly deteriorating, manufacturers lack the necessary legal and planning security. René Buholzer continues: «Swiss politics has not yet decisively addressed the problem, even though concrete proposals are on the table. At least, the National Council's Health Commission has recently given the FOPH clearer rules, so that planning security for companies does not erode further. It is also encouraging that the Commission intends to decide on budget impact models only when the results from the working group led by the FOPH on the overall modernization of the pricing system for medicines are available. However, further corrections are needed, such as with price models, which are often the only hope for those affected and are also cost-reducing.»
The full presentation of the study as well as a fact sheet summarizing the key findings can be viewed at the following links:
AstraZeneca commissioned the Swiss study and organized the press conference.
Media contact
Tel. +41 (0) 41 725 75 75; media.switzerland@astrazeneca.com
Christian Bitschnau, Corporate Affairs Director, AstraZeneca Switzerland
EFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. (Waiting to Access Innovative Therapies) Indicator Study
EFPIA and IQVIA publish an annual study called the ‘Patients W.A.I.T. (Waiting to Access Innovative Therapies) Indicator’ which been running in evolving formats since 2004 and is the largest European study into innovative medicines availability and the time to patient access. It provides insights into how many innovative medicines are available in a country, how long it takes from authorization to availability, and what nuances exist in patient access.
Swiss Analysis of the EFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator Study
The aim of the Swiss analysis is to shed more light on the status of access to innovative medicines in Switzerland compared to important European countries, using the latest results of the EFPIA W.A.I.T. Indicator and its historical data. It builds upon the latest edition of the W.A.I.T. Indicator analyzing the 167 innovative medicines approved in Europe between 2019 and 2022. For further historical analyses, the entire W.A.I.T. Indicator dataset comprising of the 372 innovative medicines approved since 2014 and the situation in 36 European countries was considered.
IQVIA
IQVIA is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry, payers, providers, and governments. IQVIA creates intelligent connections across all aspects of healthcare through its analytics, transformative technology, big data resources and extensive domain expertise. With approximately 88,000 employees, of which 4,000 have a relevant PhD degree, are doctors or pharmacists, IQVIA operates in more than 100 countries and offices in 24 EU countries. IQVIA harnesses its advanced analytics services, strong sector relationships and comprehensive healthcare data assets to help a diversity of stakeholders deliver significant health interventions.
AstraZeneca in Switzerland
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that has been present in Switzerland for nearly 50 years, ranking among the country's top ten revenue-generating pharmaceutical firms. AstraZeneca focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in the areas of Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Respiratory and Immunology, and Rare Diseases. Over 285 employees in Switzerland are committed to providing patients with life-changing medicines and making a positive impact on the healthcare system, society, and the planet. Currently, over 230,000 people are treated with a drug from AstraZeneca in Switzerland. By 2026, the company expects the approval of over 35 new therapies. AstraZeneca has pledged to an inclusive work environment based on respect and acceptance. The company was thus recognised as a «Great Place to Work» for the sixth consecutive time in 2024 and carries the «Swiss LGBTI label». AstraZeneca aims to be CO2-negative by 2030.
For more information: www.astrazeneca.ch