Getting an innovative new drug to patients and convincing payers to pay a good price is no easy feat, as pharma companies know. Real-world evidence has for some time been touted as a remedy for quicker approvals, better discussions with payers and flexible reimbursement agreements. Even though advances in digitization mean that data are potentially much more accessible, real-world evidence has yet to fulfill its promise. A lack of trust in what will happen to patient data, poor approaches to market access and concerns over whether the data are fit for purpose are just some of the challenges in Europe.
Cash-strapped payers are balking at the prices of many pharmaceuticals and thinking hard about whether they want to pay. Real-world...