iQone Healthcare Switzerland Supports Cancer Patients Through SPAP Partnership
April 15, 2025
Versoix (GE), Switzerland – iQone Healthcare Switzerland (a Celltrion company) is proud to have joined the Swiss Patient Access Program (SPAP) as the third pharmaceutical company and the first biosimilar specialized company in this vital initiative as of January 1, 2025. This partnership reflects iQone’s commitment to supporting cancer patients in Switzerland by providing access to life-changing oncology treatments at no cost, when not covered by health insurance. iQone wants to ensure that financial barriers do not stand in the way of medically indicated care for those affected by cancer.
The Swiss Patient Access Program (SPAP), an initiative managed and overseen by the Swiss Society of Medical Oncology (SSMO), aims to address critical gaps in patient care by enabling access to treatments not reimbursed by health insurance. Since its official launch in July 2023, SPAP has provided a pathway for cancer patients to receive medically indicated therapies under a rigorous, independent, and scientifically validated process. By joining SPAP, iQone Healthcare Switzerland continues to align with its mission of making therapeutic advancements accessible to Swiss patients in a timely manner.
Tackling Systemic Challenges Together
Despite Switzerland’s globally recognized healthcare system, patients often face hurdles in accessing the latest therapies due to delays in drug approval or reimbursement. Articles 71a-d of the Swiss health insurance ordinance provide a framework for individual case assessments, if the medication has not yet been approved by Swissmedic or is not listed on the Mandatory Health Insurance (OKP) reimbursement list. However, challenges remain, and the SPAP model offers a solution by facilitating independent expert reviews of hardship cases and binding recommendations for license holders. This ensures that cancer patients in need can access the necessary innovative as well as established therapies, which in oncology are increasingly combined. The cost of the iQone medication is covered by iQone.
Commitment to Patients
iQone Healthcare Switzerland is deeply committed to providing solutions that support healthcare professionals in providing quality care. Programs like “iQone for You” are tailored to the specific needs of the Swiss market, enhancing therapeutic options, simplifying work and empowering healthcare providers and their patients.
Irina Häuselmann, Medical Affairs Director of iQone Healthcare Switzerland, remarked, “Joining the Swiss Patient Access Program is a significant milestone for us. It reflects our unwavering dedication to supporting Swiss patients and ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to accessing essential medical treatments. SPAP’s mission aligns perfectly with our commitment to support healthcare providers quickly and effectively and to contribute to a more efficient healthcare system.”
About SPAP
The Swiss Patient Access Program (SPAP) was officially launched in July 2023 following a successful three-year pilot phase. Managed by the Swiss Society of Medical Oncology (SSMO) through applying a controlled and validated process, the SPAP provides patients with access to selected oncology medications when they are medically indicated but have been denied coverage by their health insurance. SPAP aims to create a model for quality registries within the next years to track patient benefits effectively while working towards sustainable solutions for addressing hardship cases.
About SSMO
The Swiss Society of Medical Oncology (SSMO) is the professional association and specialist society for doctors specialising in medical oncology. The SSMO is non-profitmaking and does not pursue any economic goals. More about SSMO: https://www.sgmo.ch/en/
About iQone Healthcare Switzerland
iQone Healthcare Switzerland is a Swiss-based specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the commercialization of biosimilars and innovative treatments for rare diseases. Through long-standing collaborations with global pharmaceutical developers like Celltrion, iQone delivers an expanding portfolio of leading biosimilars and innovative therapies to healthcare professionals and institutions across Switzerland. Recently iQone Healthcare Switzerland has been acquired by Celltrion and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Celltrion. (Celltrion Press Release 15.11.2024)
About Celltrion
Celltrion is a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Incheon, South Korea that specialises in researching, developing, manufacturing, marketing, and sales of innovative therapeutics that improve people's lives worldwide. The company’s solutions include world-class monoclonal antibody biosimilars providing broader patient access globally. To learn more, please visit www.celltrion.com/en-us.
Contact
iQone Healthcare Switzerland
Modulis Business Park
Route de Suisse 162
CH — 1290 Versoix
Switzerland
+41 22 510 29 30
contact@iqonehc.com
https://www.iqone-healthcare.com/