Improving Patient Access to New Treatment Modalities in European Cancer Care

Although new cancer treatment modalities such as cellular therapies and radiopharmaceuticals have proven to be potentially transformative treatment options, there remain shortcomings with their equitable implementation in routine clinical practice across Europe, the patient-centricity of their associated patient pathways, and their hidden costs. Patient access can only be achieved if the necessary healthcare infrastructure is in place to manage patient pathways and manufacturing can be faithfully scaled from clinical trial to routine clinical practice. This multi-stakeholder perspective highlights practical challenges and solutions to bridge these gaps, based on the multi-stakeholder Cancer Drug Development Forum (CDDF) Workshop ‘New modalities in cancer drug development’ (Brussels, 31 March–1 April 2025), sharing insights from academics, regulators, patient groups, industry, and non-commercial organisations. It is essential to anticipate any healthcare deployment considerations if new treatment modalities are to achieve their full potential in terms of patient experience. Earlier open dialogue with regulatory bodies, payers and healthcare providers can help prepare for the practicalities of their national roll-out. These multi-stakeholder discussions provided actionable recommendations for policymakers, regulators, and healthcare providers to address barriers in deploying novel cancer therapies. A concerted effort from all stakeholders is needed to improve the legislative and infrastructural environments needed to expedite effective patient access to these novel targeted oncology treatments.