ABPI publishes infographic about cancer medicines data
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has published a new infographic which shows how the UK compares to other European countries on access to new cancer treatments. The infographic summarises data from the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE) comparator report on cancer in Europe 2025. The data in the IHE report revealed:
- Fewer cancer medicines are available for routine NHS use in the UK compared with similar European countries.
- Spending on cancer medicines in the UK is well below what the disease burden demands and lower than in major European nations.
- Even when new treatments are available, adoption across NHS settings is inconsistent and slower than in comparator countries.
- Use of next-generation genomic testing remains uneven, affecting patients’ ability to access precision treatments.
The data also reveals how, in less a decade, England has dropped from being first in Europe for granting access to new treatments, including for cancer, to sixth for all medicines and tenth for cancer medicines. The UK ranks 15th in Europe for usage relative to the number of cancer cases and last among the EU5 countries.
Call for more investment
The ABPI resource explains how UK patients can access fewer cancer medicines through the NHS than patients in comparable European countries, as a smaller proportion of new treatments are approved and funded for routine use. The ABPI highlights substantial challenges in NICE’s evaluation process to assess the value of new medicines and decide whether they can be funded for NHS patients.
ABPI is calling on the government to increase investment in cancer medicines and support adoption in the NHS. ABPI says by improving how new cancer treatments are valued, funded, and adopted across the health system, we can deliver faster access for patients, better outcomes for families, and a stronger, more resilient life sciences sector that drives the UK’s global leadership in cancer innovation.