Call to action for Central and Eastern European (CEE) members – join MPE CEE workgroup on access

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Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE) has launched a Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Workgroup on Access during our recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Munich, Germany. The Workgroup is chaired by MPE board members, Kristina Modic, also CEO of our Slovenian member Slovensko Združenje Bolnikov Z Limfomom In Levkemijo L&L, and Biba Dodeva, President of our Macedonian member BORKA. It was launched in response to an identified need for coordinated action at a European level on…

ESMO drives EU-level action to tackle shortages of essential medicines

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Shortages of essential cancer medicines have a direct impact on patient care across Europe. To ensure that this issue remains a top priority on the EU policy agenda, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) collaborated with the European Parliament to organise a cross-partisan event entitled “Shortages of Inexpensive, Essential Medicines: Calling for Tangible Political Commitments in the EU”, according to a press release sent by ESMO today.

Huge variations between countries in time for reimbursement decisions on new cancer drugs

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European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), Munich (Germany) – Some European countries take more than twice as long as others to reach health technology assessment (HTA) decisions to reimburse new cancer drugs following their approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The average decision time is longer than one year in some countries, according to a study presented at ESMO 2018 Congress.

Daratumumab receive European license for use in newly diagnosed myeloma

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Daratumumab (Darzalex®), an immunotherapy drug for the treatment of myeloma, has been granted marketing authorisation (e.g. a licence) by the European Commission. It is specifically licensed for use in combination with bortezomib (Velcade®), melphalan and prednisolone (D-VMP) in newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are ineligible for high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation.

Plitidepsin receives second negative recommendation across Europe

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Plitidepsin (Aplidin®), a new medicine for the treatment of relapsed and refractory myeloma, has today received a second negative recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). This decision means that plitidepsin is very unlikely to made available to patients across Europe. This upholds a previous negative recommendation from the CHMP, which was reviewed following an appeal by the pharmaceutical company Pharma Mar.