EUCOPE Resources - July 8, 2021

Cross-border healthcare for ATMPs patients: Our Solutions

The complexities related to delivering some Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) most likely will require highly specialized clinical expertise and infrastructures, which currently do not exist in all EU counties. Therefore, relocating or crossing borders often represent the only solution for many patients.

A well-developed and highly functioning cross-border healthcare framework at the EU level is essential to provide patients with access to needed life-saving and life-transforming therapies.

However, the current EU framework for accessing treatment abroad (the cross-border healthcare Directive 2011/24, or the Social Security Regulations) is not suitable for most rare diseases patients.

Together with our members, EUCOPE calls for far greater collaboration between the EU institutions, Member States and all related stakeholders to come with practical solutions to facilitate cross-border healthcare for patients in need of an ATMP treatment.

Our new position paper provides a set of recommendations, targeting the S2 Route and the Directive, with a long-term and sustainable approach to ensure the cross-border framework finally becomes suitable for patients with rare and ultra-rare conditions.