Timely authorization of products expected to cover unmet or high-impact medical needs is vital to support innovation and to improve patient access. The introduction of adaptive pathways is challenging but initiatives such as the EMA adaptive licensing project and recognition of the issues around HTA approval for conditionally-approved products in the EU are helping shape the regulatory framework. The DIA-TOPRA Adaptive Pathways Workshop, June 2015 in Brussels, Belgium, considered how the regulatory hurdles to bringing such products to market could be overcome in order to improve patient access to vital new treatments.