European cancer patients live a paradox today: advances in the understanding of cancer biology supported the development of new treatments and medicines, but these treatments and medicines are not equally available to all cancer patients who would benefit from them.

There is not one recipe to solve this problem. Harmonisation of HTA, increase access to innovative medicines, increase in healthcare budgets or disinvestment strategies cannot, on their own, provide satisfactory answer to the paradox lived every day by more than 10 million EU patients. Europe needs a grand plan to ensure that innovation in cancer is accessible, sustainable and, at the same time, beneficial to decrease the unacceptable level of inequalities in cancer care existing today. Such grand plan must take into consideration the reality of national cancer plans in European countries, and the very promising results and recommendations of the Joint Action on Cancer Control (CanCon).

The event aims at opening a holistic, open debate on access to innovation in cancer care in Europe, with the final objective of re-defining priority areas of action for the European Union and its Member States.

ECPC already attempted at bridging the gap between new technologies and access, by informing patients about the complex and promising immuno-oncology treatments (through the Immuno-Oncology Portal-IOP), and by producing key policy recommendations to increase access to equitable and sustainable innovation in cancer care today – the Value of Innovation in Oncology White Paper, published at the European Cancer Congress in January 2017.

From this premises, the event will present other key attempts at solving the paradox, most notably including the conclusions of the CanCon Joint Action on inequalities and disinvestment. The event will also be a chance for academia and industry to share their perspectives and ideas.

Event organised by ECPC and hosted by MEP Elisabetta Gardini (EPP) in collaboration with MEP Lieve Wierinck (ALDE).

European Parliament, 25th April 2017, 12.30 – 14.30, room JAN 6Q1