Ensuring high-value innovations reach cancer patients
Over 50% of cancer patients need radiotherapy —but access remains unequal across Europe. In addition, implementation in clinical practice and reimbursement often struggle to keep pace with innovation. This can lead to delays in patients benefiting from new effective interventions, while resources may be spent on interventions that offer limited clinical benefit to patients at high cost.
The challenge?
Ensuring that only those innovations with real, meaningful benefits for patients are widely adopted in the healthcare system and fairly reimbursed.
The VBRO solution:
The VBRO project is developing a methodologically robust evaluation framework to assess the value of radiotherapy innovations. Our goal is to support the implementation of innovative radiotherapy interventions that provide meaningful benefits for patients, while promoting sustainable access across Europe thus avoiding silos of care or variation in outcomes due to delayed access.
Key Objectives:
The VBRO project brings together experts from across Europe to:
- Define a categorisation system for all types of radiotherapy innovation to enable assessment of their value
- Define through consensus what evidence, outcomes and magnitude of benefit is necessary to consider a radiotherapy innovation as being high value
- Strengthen the evidence base to support reimbursement and access decisions
- Equip professionals and industry to engage with policymakers effectively
What we have delivered so far:
🔹 Deliverable 1: Categorisation System
A validated algorithm that classifies radiotherapy interventions into four categories — Drug-centred, Radiation-centred, Radiation-enabling, and Radiation-operational innovations — creating a solid foundation for structured assessment.
🔹 Deliverable 2: Outcomes and level of evidence.
Through a systematic literature analysis and expert consensus via a Delphi process involving European radiation oncology professionals from the ESTRO community, the most relevant endpoints and study designs to support the implementation of innovations were identified.
What’s coming next?
🔹 Patient perspective integration: a scoping literature analysis of what matters most to the patient
🔹 Biostatistical analysis: Defining thresholds of clinical benefit for each innovation category to support implementation
🔹 Reimbursement and authorisation landscape: Mapping how each category is handled in different European countries.
Why this matters
With the VBRO framework, radiotherapy professionals and industry stakeholders will be better equipped to demonstrate value, engage in evidence-based discussions, and drive access to innovations that truly benefit patients.
Stay tuned for exclusive updates!
Follow the hashtag #VBROproject on social media.