European patients are facing longer waits and growing inequality in access to new medicines, with nearly half of innovative treatments still unavailable across the EU, according to the latest European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations WAIT report.
EFPIA’s annual WAIT report shows a picture of widening inequality with no indication of an improvement in the future.
EFPIA’s annual WAIT Indicator provides analysis of access and availability of 168 new medicines across 36 countries.
The report shows a picture of widening inequality with no indication of an improvement in the future.
The situation looks likely to be compounded by the introduction of the US Most Favoured Nation Policy (MFN), which aims to provide balance in how global medicines research and development (R&D) is funded, and which would see the US pay the same price as comparable countries the same medicines (International Reference Pricing).
This year’s data provides analysis of 168 innovative medicines that received central-marketing authorisation between 2021 and 2024. The figures show:
- The median time to availability is 532 days, ranging from 56 days in Germany to 1,201 days in Romania.
- An 88% access disparity between the highest and lowest European country.
This year’s report takes a deep dive into the availability of medicines in different countries, as well as the restrictions and conditions placed on their use. Historically full availability was the primary route of access, however, now restrictions are commonplace.
- In 2025, close to half (49%) are not available to patients in Europe – up from 46% in 2019.
- In 2025, 17% are only available under restricted conditions (6% in 2019).
- In 2025, the share of medicines fully available on public reimbursement lists has declined substantially to 28%, down from 42% in 2019.
As in previous years the root causes of unavailability and delay to accessing new medicines are multifactorial, ranging from the speed of regulatory processes to misalignment on evidence requirements to insufficient budgets in Member States. Industry continues to stress that these barriers can be addressed through collaborative work between Member States, the European Commission, and all relevant stakeholders on proposals to improve availability and reduce delays.
Nathalie Moll, EFPIA Director General, said: “Europe has had medicines access problems for 25 years, and global pricing reforms are set to exacerbate these issues. It is unrealistic to expect greater investment into Europe and faster access to new treatments for Europeans if Member States also demand the lowest possible prices and highest government clawback rates. We need to make a choice.”
How access to medicines could improve
Experts say patients in Europe could get faster access to new medicines if treatments become available immediately after approval, while national reimbursement and assessment processes continue. A proposed 180-day timeframe could help reduce delays that currently last months or even years.
The report also highlights the need for higher investment in innovative medicines across Europe.
The EU currently spends around 1% of GDP on pharmaceuticals, compared with 2% in the US and 1.8% in China.
According to European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, a more balanced pricing approach and stronger investment environment are needed to improve access and attract medicines research and development to Europe.
28.05.2026.
