Cancer medicine shortages are a growing public health challenge, leading to treatment delays, suboptimal care and avoidable increases in patient mortality and healthcare costs. Addressing this crisis demands a comprehensive strategy that extends beyond supply chain vulnerabilities to assess the full impact on patient outcomes and healthcare systems.
As part of its engagement in the Critical Medicines Alliance (CMA) Forum, ESMO has provided input on the Alliance’s Draft Strategic Report, which outlines policy recommendations to secure Europe’s supply of essential medicines, including oncology treatments. While the report takes important steps in identifying pharmaceutical supply risks, it does not fully account for the short-, mid-, and long-term consequences of medicine shortages on patient care, morbidity and mortality. A broader vulnerability assessment is critical to ensuring that the forthcoming Critical Medicines Act effectively safeguards patient access to life-saving treatments.
Key Areas Requiring Urgent Attention:
- Patient Impact Analysis - Current recommendations focus heavily on pharmaceutical supply chains but lack a structured assessment of how shortages affect cancer patient survival, treatment disruptions, and economic burdens.
- Investment Incentives for Essential Cancer Medicines - Many off-patent oncology treatments remain financially fragile, yet clear mechanisms to sustain their production are missing. Strengthening manufacturing incentives is essential to prevent recurring shortages.
- EU-Wide Pharmaceutical Resilience - Beyond immediate supply chain concerns, the recommendations must also consider long-term procurement strategies, contingency stock management, and regulatory frameworks to reduce dependence on external suppliers.
ESMO’s Recommendations for the Critical Medicines Act:
- Expand the vulnerability assessment to explicitly consider patient outcomes, rising mortality linked to shortages, and the financial impact on healthcare systems.
- Introduce stronger financial and policy incentives at both EU and national levels to support the production and availability of essential, off-patent oncology medicines.
- Develop targeted EU-level regulatory and procurement frameworks to reinforce the resilience of Europe’s pharmaceutical sector.
- Take a global view of medicine shortages, ensuring that EU policies account for international supply chain dynamics and foster strategic partnerships to secure critical medicines.
The Critical Medicines Act represents a decisive moment to strengthen Europe’s pharmaceutical resilience. Cancer patients cannot afford delays and action is needed to ensure continued access to life-saving treatments. ESMO urges policymakers to take a patient-centred approach that safeguards the future of oncology care.
For further information, please contact: publicpolicy@esmo.org