EFPIA's Warning on Siloed Thinking in Cancer Innovation

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), representing research-based pharma companies across Europe, has issued stark warnings about the future of oncology progress. In its September 2025 report, 'The Transformative Value of Cancer Medicines in Europe,' commissioned from the Dolon Institute, EFPIA highlights how siloed decision-making among payers, health systems, and finance ministries is undermining innovation. This siloed approach leads to misconceptions about the cost-effectiveness of new treatments, resulting in chronic underfunding and delays that risk Europe's leadership in cancer research.

Building on this, the EFPIA Oncology Platform's March 2026 white paper, 'Advancing Precision Oncology Treatment and Testing Across Europe,' launched at a high-level event in Toledo, Spain, calls for coordinated reforms to bridge access gaps in biomarker testing and targeted therapies. These publications underscore a critical moment for European universities and research institutions, which play pivotal roles in oncology breakthroughs but face similar silos in funding and collaboration.

Europe's Escalating Cancer Burden Demands Urgent Action

Cancer accounts for 17% of Europe's disease burden and nearly 25% of all deaths, yet it receives only 6% of health expenditure, with just 2.97% allocated to medicines. Projections show diagnoses rising 21.4% to 3.4 million by 2040, positioning cancer to surpass cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death by 2035. The annual economic toll exceeds €100 billion, including productivity losses from 1.1 million full-time equivalent workers sidelined annually.

From 1989 to 2022, pharmaceutical advances prevented 5.4 million deaths and generated 1.1 million quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) since 2012. Survival rates have soared—for instance, melanoma's 10-year survival jumped from 5% to 52% thanks to immune checkpoint inhibitors—yet gaps persist in hard-to-treat cancers like pancreatic and liver, where five-year survival lags below 30%. European universities, from DKFZ Heidelberg to UCL, are at the forefront, but fragmented funding hampers translation from lab to clinic.

What Is Siloed Thinking and Why It Threatens Progress

Siloed thinking refers to isolated decision-making where health payers focus narrowly on short-term costs, health systems prioritize volume over value, and finance ministries view oncology spend as a burden rather than an investment. This results in reimbursement delays averaging 540 days in 2024—up 15% since 2022—and oncology medicine availability dropping 14% to 50%. Affecting 3.2 million patients yearly, these barriers displace clinical trials to China (39% share) from Europe's 20%.

In academia, silos manifest as disjointed collaborations between universities, pharma, and hospitals. The EFPIA precision oncology white paper identifies archetypes like fragmented infrastructure and workforce shortages, urging multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) and shared data platforms. For researchers at institutions like the Netherlands' NKI or Germany's DKTK, this means stalled biomarker studies and unequal access to genomic tools.

Economic Returns: Oncology's Hidden Value to Europe

Far from a drain, oncology innovation delivers massive returns. In 2022, it yielded €29.2 billion in health gains (€7.5-€63.3 billion range), €53.7 billion in gross value added (GVA), and 49,400 R&D jobs. In Spain, cancer medicines cost €3,269 per life year gained (2000-2016), well below national thresholds of €22,000-€25,000 per QALY.

• Pharma R&D funds 63% of biopharma investment (€47 billion in 2022), fueling university-pharma partnerships.
• Indirect costs fell 16% since 1995 to €82 billion, thanks to better survival and productivity.
• Europe's pharma exports hit €683 billion in 2022, with oncology central.

Universities benefit via Horizon Europe grants; sustaining these ties is key for aspiring research jobs in oncology.

Precision Oncology: The Next Frontier and Its Hurdles

Precision oncology—tailoring treatments via biomarkers like BRCA mutations or NGS panels—promises transformation, but access varies wildly. France's INCa network delivered 94,855 oncogenetics consultations in 2022; Netherlands' OncoAct study gave 71% of 1,200 patients new options. Yet, challenges include low awareness (70% mBC patients unaware of key biomarkers), infrastructure gaps, and reimbursement silos.

EFPIA recommends national networks like Germany's DKTK (€28M/year, training 1,000+ pros) and hub-spoke models for equity. European universities, integral to ERNs and Cancer Hubs, must scale bioinformatics and MTBs.

University Roles in Breaking Oncology Silos

European universities drive oncology innovation via collaborations. DKFZ Heidelberg's EXLIQUID rolls out liquid biopsies; UCL advances doctoral training in cancer partnerships. Challenges include funding silos—pharma covers much R&D, but bureaucratic hurdles slow trials (Europe's share halved).

Innovation examples: AI apps like Moovcare extend lung cancer survival to 19 months; WesFit pre-hab cuts hospital stays. Unis like Cambridge and Oxford contribute to net-zero surgery (80% emission cuts).

PhD students and postdocs can join via postdoc positions in EU-funded consortia.

EU Policies: Beating Cancer Plan and Horizon Europe 2026

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan aims for national cancer centres by 2025; EU Cancer Mission targets 3 million improved lives by 2030 via prevention and cure. Horizon Europe 2026 calls (€ unspecified, deadline Sep 15) fund VHT models, microbiome prediction, immuno-trials, palliative care, survivor mental health, Ukraine capacity, and elderly QoL.

Universities lead: e.g., calls for pragmatic trials suit academic-clinical ties. Yet, EU4Health funding risks post-2028; EFPIA urges extension.

Case Studies: Successes Amid Challenges

• Netherlands DRUP Trial: >1,500 patients, 33% benefit from off-label targeted therapies via WGS.
• Germany DKTK: Federated network trains pros, supports biobanking.
• France INCa: NGS platforms analyzed 117,000 mutations.
• Spain Catalonia OMIQ-HES: 23,135 NGS tests, 24.7% treatment changes.

These uni-pharma models show value-based reimbursement works; replication needed.

Solutions: Recommendations for Stakeholders

EFPIA proposes:

• Sustain plans with EU funding.
• Boost R&D competitiveness.
• Accelerate access via faster HTA/reimbursement.
• Build awareness, infrastructure (MTBs, training), value-based funding.

For unis: Foster pharma ties, apply for Horizon calls, advocate policy. Researchers, check academic CV tips for grants.

Future Outlook: Opportunities for Oncology Researchers

With AI, digital twins, and immuno-therapies, oncology booms. EU Mission 2026 calls open doors for unis in predictive models and trials. Despite silos, collaborations like EIT Health networks promise progress. Europe's talent pool positions unis to lead, creating jobs in European research roles.

Careers thrive: Demand for bioinformaticians, geneticists surges. Explore university jobs or faculty positions in oncology hubs.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Conclusion: Time to Unite for Europe's Oncology Future

EFPIA's publications signal a crossroads: Siloed thinking risks Europe's oncology edge, but coordinated action—bolstered by university innovation—can secure gains. Sustain the Beating Cancer Plan, fund Horizon calls, bridge silos. For researchers and students, immense opportunities await in precision oncology. Dive into Rate My Professor for mentors, higher ed jobs, and career advice. Join the fight today.