Turkish cancer patients' access to new medicines delayed, new survey finds

In Turkey, where cancer claims nearly 100,000 lives every year, delays in access to new cancer drugs diminishes effectiveness of therapy, a study of patients' access to cancer medicines in the country found, reported the pharmaceutical trade group AiFD.

The report, conducted by i3 Innovus, a research company focusing on pharmaceutical industry studies and benchmarking Turkey against eight European Union countries in terms of access to cancer medications, pointed to delays experienced when bringing these medicines to patients because of the hold ups in the registration and reimbursement listing procedures. The report compared Turkey with Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK. The Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, as well as an average of 13 EU countries.

The report on 'Access of Turkish Patients to Cancer Medications' was authored by Professor Bengt Jönsson of the Stockholm School of Economics, Dr Nils Wilking of the Karolinska Institute, and Daniel Hogberg of i3 Innovus.