European Cancer Organisation Response to Consultation on the EU Pharmaceutical Legislation

In December 2021, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) responded to a European Commission consultation on the evaluation of the existing general pharmaceutical legislation on medicines for human use and its revision to ensure a future-proof and crisis-resistant medicines regulatory system.

While the revision already aims to tackle unmet medical needs, unequal access to medicines, the burden of regulatory procedures, medicine shortages and sustainability, ECO recommends attention should also be given to: 

• Innovation and access for all modalities of multidisciplinary treatment, including surgery and radiation therapy 
• Providing a strong EU role in preventing and managing medicines shortages 
• Addressing crucial evidence gaps on the use, benefit and delivery of treatments (health systems and treatment optimisation) as a key component of market access pathways through support to independent multidisciplinary clinical and health services research 
• Ensuring attention to areas of increased need, such as poor prognosis cancer types, management of comorbidities and complications, and inclusion of older patient populations in therapy development processes 
• Achieving strong linkage with other EU policy initiatives on inequalities and data sharing 

Read our full response here.

View the original consultation here.