As discussions around MFN policy continue to evolve, a fundamental question remains: how can we lower the cost of medicines without compromising innovation or patient access? Patient advocacy has an important role to play by bringing the lived experience of patients and caregivers into conversations about value, affordability, access, treatment availability, and the potential unintended consequences of pricing policy.
Put simply, MFN pricing ties what a country pays for a medicine to prices paid in other comparable markets, often using the lowest price as a benchmark. Supporters argue that MFN could improve affordability, reduce out-of-pocket costs, support adherence, and potentially ease payer restrictions, all outcomes that matter directly to patients. At the same time, we are already seeing that linking prices across markets may lead manufacturers to delay or forgo launches in lower-price countries where patients are waiting for innovative medicines. Patient advocacy organizations can help ensure these trade-offs are considered from the lived patient perspective to inform policy discussions and help identify approaches that improve affordability and access without creating new barriers to treatment.
We are already facing decisions of some biopharmaceutical companies not to commercialize their drugs in the EU and other territories – we predict this will become more common, placing the health of patients at great risk.
MFN could influence far more than pricing. Under greater international pricing pressure, launch has become increasingly strategic, with companies prioritizing higher-value markets while delaying launches in lower-price countries. Portfolio and R&D decisions could also shift, placing greater emphasis on therapies with strong clinical differentiation, robust evidence, and clear value propositions. Although, in theory, lower prices may benefit patients in the US, particularly those facing high out-of-pocket costs or coverage restrictions, the global impact must remain part of the conversation. An affordability policy that improves access in one market should not unintentionally delay or limit access in another.
Patient advocacy groups are critical in shaping how value and access are understood by ensuring that cost-containment policies reflect patient and caregiver realities. Patient experience data, real-world evidence, and testimony can reveal consequences that traditional clinical and economic analyses may miss, including delayed treatment, disease progression, caregiver burden, loss of independence, and hospitalization. In health technology assessment (HTA) discussions, advocates can also promote a broader definition of value that considers unmet needs, quality of life, and long-term outcomes, not only cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY).
Patient advocacy groups can also shape MFN policies by identifying potential access risks, advocating for flexibility for rare diseases and breakthrough therapies, and pushing for patient protections such as continuity-of-care provisions. By mobilizing communities and elevating patient stories, they can show how pricing reforms may affect access, treatment decisions, and outcomes.
As pharmaceutical companies reconsider whether, when, and where to launch therapies, patient voices are essential in making potential access disruptions visible and helping stakeholders understand the real-world consequences of those decisions.
Pharmaceutical companies can lead with access by integrating patient advocacy into policy strategy earlier, centering patient evidence, building multi-stakeholder coalitions, and planning for potential disruptions. Strategic, compliant partnerships with patient advocacy groups, including structured forums such as advisory boards, can help surface patient insights, pressure-test strategies, and clarify how global pricing policies translate into real-world access challenges.
At VOZ Advisors, we help clients put these principles into practice, access strategy early, and convene meaningful stakeholder dialogue, translating patient insights into actionable evidence and preparing for potential access disruptions. Our work helps ensure that pricing reforms reflect their real-world impact on patients, caregivers, and communities, not only economic considerations.
As pricing reforms evolve, pharmaceutical companies that engage patients early, anticipate the broader implications for access, and incorporate patient perspectives in policy decisions will be better positioned to navigate change while protecting timely and equitable access to care.
– Danielle Pantalone, Senior Vice President, Client Services at VOZ Advisors
