A disappointing track record after 1.5 years of the EU-HTA procedure

After 1.5 years of the EU-HTA (launched on 15 January 2025), the results so far are disappointing: Only 22 procedures have been initiated to date, of which 3 have been completed, 3 have been discontinued and 16 are ongoing. The HTA Coordination Group has forecast that 70-75 drugs will have started the JCA journey by the end of this year.

Only six of the 22 drugs that started the JCA process have been developed or co-developed by top 20 pharmaceutical companies: Pfizer, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Eli Lilly and BMS. Many of the companies that are pioneering the EU-HTA process have relatively limited experience of the European HTA environment, which could put them at a disadvantage in meeting the demands of multiple agencies simultaneously.

It would appear that Europe is falling behind, particularly in relation to the US and China, when it comes to developing and bringing innovations in the pharmaceutical sector to market.