Time from Drug Approval to Reimbursement Longer in U.S. Than Some European Countries

The time from drug approval to reimbursement varies by country and is shortest in Switzerland and Germany, both of which use health technology assessment (HTA) decisions not currently implemented in the U.S., according to a study published in the *Annals of Internal Medicine* on September 3.

The study examined drugs approved between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2022, by regulatory bodies in the U.S., the EU, England, and Switzerland, with reimbursement data collected up to December 31, 2023.

Among the 290 drugs reviewed, the median time from approval to reimbursement was 5.8 months in Switzerland, 7.4 months in Germany, 9.2 months in the U.S., 12.9 months in France, and 17.7 months in England. One month post-approval, France had the highest reimbursement rate (25.9%), followed by Switzerland (9.7%) and England (0.7%), while the U.S. and Germany had no drugs reimbursed. At one year after approval, Germany, the U.S., and Switzerland had the highest reimbursement rates at 74.3%, 70.7%, and 62.8%, respectively, compared to 37.1% in England and 49.0% in France.

The study concludes that incorporating HTA systems and drug negotiation processes in the U.S. would not necessarily lead to longer times until reimbursement.