Key Takeaways
Even when a patient qualifies for full financial support, a delay of just a few weeks in starting treatment can affect their outcome. That’s the gap Axios’ On-Time Access (OTA) solution exists to close: not affordability alone, but the timing of when a patient can actually begin.
- A patient can be fully covered by a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and still face delays while waiting on reimbursement or funds.
- Cash Gap Support for patients waiting on funds, and Partial Contribution Assistance for patients who can’t cover their share at all.
- As of June 2025, OTA has supported more than 5,000 patients across 7 countries in accessing high-value specialty medicines.
What Happens When Financial Support Isn’t Enough to Start Treatment?
Financial assistance is often viewed as the final step in making treatment accessible. Once the cost barrier has been addressed, it can be tempting to assume the patient will simply begin treatment.
In practice, there can be another gap between being approved for support and actually receiving medicine.
A patient may be waiting for insurance reimbursement. A hospital may be waiting for funds to be released. A temporary cash-flow problem may prevent someone from covering their contribution, even when they expect to have the money shortly. For treatments where timing matters, these delays can have consequences.
To close that gap, Axios International developed On-Time Access (OTA), a solution that complements Axios-managed PAPs by improving affordability and ensuring patients can begin treatment without delay and stay on it once they do.
The Solution: On-Time Access (OTA)
OTA is an innovative, value-added service offered to patients enrolled in existing Axios-managed PAPs that ensures no one is held back from starting treatment due to cash flow challenges or reimbursement delays.
OTA offers two models to help patients who need additional support starting their prescribed treatment:
- Cash Gap Support: For patients who can afford their share of the treatment cost but are waiting for funds or reimbursement, OTA offers zero-interest support. Patients borrow funds at zero interest to receive the medicine now and repay once funds are available via a personalized plan, without hidden costs.
- Partial Contribution Assistance: For patients who cannot afford their share of the treatment cost, OTA can provide additional financial support to cover their share and start treatment right away.
OTA is built to stay fully compliant with local legal and regulatory obligations, with calculated, transparent risk for every funding partner involved, no surprises for anyone footing the bill. That structure is what lets access programs using OTA stay sustainable rather than becoming a one-time fix that quietly falls apart.
What Does On-Time Access Look Like in Practice?
As of June 2025, OTA has been implemented across 7 countries and has supported more than 5,000 patients in accessing high-value specialty medicines.
The clearest picture of what that looks like in practice comes from Egypt, where OTA has been integrated into an Axios-managed Patient Assistance Program for an immunology treatment:
- Faster treatment initiation: Patients enrolled in the program were able to get their medication within one week of program enrollment.
- High physician and patient acceptance: More than 1,500 patients, who could not previously access appropriate treatment options, have been referred to this program since its launch.
- Enhanced adherence to treatment: 92% of patients remain on treatment without any interruptions. Only 8% of patients discontinued treatment, primarily due to factors beyond their control, not financial barriers.
By bridging the gap between affordability and timely access, OTA is setting a new standard for patient-centered access solutions throughout our programs. As access programs become more sophisticated, timing deserves to be considered alongside affordability from the beginning. Understanding when and why patients are likely to encounter a financial barrier can help programs build more responsive pathways and reduce delays before they occur.
