4 December 2025
The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), together with the European Fair Pricing Network (EFPN), is calling on the European Parliament’s public health committee to ensure the proposed Critical Medicines Act guarantees equitable access to life-saving medication for all cancer patients.
In Europe, someone’s life is transformed by a cancer diagnosis every 9 seconds. Cancer is the second cause of death in the European Union, and it is projected to become the leading cause by 2035. Both medical and technological developments have led to the increased provision of cancer medicines on the market, making it possible for cancer patients to live longer with a better quality of life.
However, access to oncology medicines varies significantly across Europe, and shortages of cancer medicines pose a special challenge because many of them have a narrow therapeutic window, meaning that these products cannot be easily substituted. Cancer medicines are one of the classes of medicines most affected by shortages and this can have great impact on the treatment of cancer patients.
Read ECL and EFPN’s recommendations for the Critical Medicines Act
