Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41781747›Full record

ArticleApplied health economics and health policy2026

The Italian Assessment System for Innovative Medicines: An 8-Year Retrospective Analysis of Outcomes, Criteria, Timelines and Funding Dynamics.

Lorenzo Martellone, Camilla Servidio, Marcello Vaccaro, Katiuscja Malandrini, Adriana Coluccia, Alessandra Oliva, Claudio Maria Mastroianni, Giacomo Polito

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Article in Applied health economics and health policy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Lorenzo MartelloneDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Disease, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy. lorenzo.martellone93@outlook.it.ORCID 0000-0002-4921-8778
Camilla ServidioHospital Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, Pharmacy Department, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
Marcello VaccaroHospital Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, Pharmacy Department, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
Katiuscja MalandriniHospital Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, Pharmacy Department, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
Adriana ColucciaHospital Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, Pharmacy Department, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
Alessandra OlivaDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Disease, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Claudio Maria MastroianniDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Disease, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Giacomo PolitoHospital Pharmacy, Pharmacy Unit, Pharmacy Department, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Italian assessment system for innovative medicines represents a distinctive European regulatory approach. Integrated with the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), since 2017 it has provided a formal evaluation based on three predefined criteria, Therapeutic Need (TN), Added Therapeutic Value (ATV) and Quality of Evidence (QoE), granting access to dedicated funds and simplified procedures.

objectiveThis study investigated the evolution of the Italian system from 2017 to the 2025 reform, focusing on outcomes, decision criteria, timelines, and financial implications.

methodsPublicly available AIFA data on 266 assessments were analysed and stratified by outcome, therapeutic area, orphan status and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) designation. Logistic regression models were used to assess the internal consistency of appraisal criteria and to explore whether regulatory attributes modified their association with innovativeness outcomes. Time to recognition (TIR) and Decision-to-Implementation Interval (DII) were calculated for "Full Innovative" medicines. Annual spending was compared to fund availability to assess the financial impact of innovative medicines.

resultsAmong the 266 evaluations, approximately 29% were classified as "Full Innovative", 29% "Conditionally Innovative" and 42% "Not Innovative". Added Therapeutic Value and QoE showed the strongest associations with positive designations, while orphan and ATMP status showed no independent association. Access timelines were comparable across therapeutic areas, with slightly longer delays for ATMPs. Spending exceeded fund limits several times but fell below budget after fund unification in 2022.

conclusionsThe Italian system has been applied consistently over time, with appraisal outcomes largely reflecting the formal decision criteria rather than regulatory status. The 2025 reform may represent a turning point, potentially changing designation patterns and their determinants. Ongoing monitoring is needed to ensure access does not compromise evidence standards or sustainability, offering lessons that may be relevant to other health systems considering similar mechanisms.

Indexed as

Orphan Drug ProductionItalyRetrospective StudiesTime Factors

Identifiers

PMID41781747
PMCPMC13102879

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