French Early Access Programme Drugs Experience 16% Price Drop

France initiated its temporary authorization system (ATU) to help expedite access to therapeutics for conditions with limited treatment options. A report by GlobalData found that drugs released under this early access program had price reductions of 16% after negotiations. Half of the drugs investigated were in the oncology field and seven were considered orphan drugs.

According to Alex Watt, “ATU/early access status is typically granted for a fixed one-year period with the opportunity for annual renewal. The time to price negotiation varies across the drugs analysed, ranging from 116 days to 1,354 days, with an average of 628 days (1.7 years). Data from GlobalData’s Price Intelligence database confirms that 41% of medicines priced under ATU/early access reached their final reimbursement price and subsequent cut in less than one year. Only 12% maintain their ATU/early access price for three years or more.”

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(Source: Pharmaceutical Technology, December 15^th, 2022)