A new on-demand webinar from Cytel offers insights into synthetic and external control arms in clinical trials. The webinar features Cytel Real-World Evidence Senior Vice President Kristian Thorlund. Cytel also recently published a new scientific primer on using synthetic control arms in place […]
Kreis: Challenging Price of Costly CF Drug Not ‘Discrimination’
Maurice Kreis, head of the New Hampshire Office of the Consumer Advocate, says challenging the price of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' cystic fibrosis drug is not "discrimination." Kreis, whose 18-year-old daughter has cystic fibrosis, was referring to how some critics responded to ICER's suggestion […]
ICER to Review Most Significant Drug Price Hikes
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is set to review whether the most significant drug price increases are evidence-based. ICER on Friday released an updated protocol for the annual assessment. An open input period on the drugs tapped for review began Friday, June 19, and […]
Analysis Finds Clinical Trial Costs are Actually Modest
A new analysis published in BMJ Open suggests that clinical trial costs for new drugs are generally modest, according to a STAT report. The analysis, which looked at 101 drugs approved by the FDA between 2015 and 2017, found the median cost of clinical trials to be roughly $48 million per […]
New Definition of HTA
In a letter to the editor published in Value in Health, Brian O'Rourke, Wija Oortwijn and Tara Schuller offer a new definition of health technology assessment (HTA). The authors define HTA as the following: "HTA is a multidisciplinary process that uses explicit methods to determine the value […]
Report: EMA Considers Big Data Network ‘Priority’
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says the development of a big data network is a "priority" project, according to a Pink Sheet report. According to the report, the agency's 2019 report offered some insight into plans for a new data network. To read the full report on The Pink Sheet, click […]
ISPOR Europe 2020 Deadline for Abstract Submissions Nears
The abstract submission deadline for ISPOR's upcoming European meeting is July 8. ISPOR 2020 Europe is set to kick off Nov. 14 in Milan, Italy. "At the start of a new decade in the shadow of a global pandemic, the questioning of fundamental conventions around value, risk, rewards, and the role […]
Researchers Support Targeted Population Health Interventions to Boost COVID-19 Outcomes
Health care systems should target population health interventions to patients with existing chronic diseases to bolster COVID-19 outcomes, researchers in a recent opinion piece suggest. "The global response has been to treat COVID-19 as a vertical disease rather than addressing the full ecosystem […]
Where Epidemiologists are Leaning on Kids Returning to School
A recent New York Times Upshot article offers comments from 133 epidemiologists on the matter of children returning to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The article expands on a survey by The Times in which it asked more than 500 epidemiologists when they planned to resume 20 common activities. […]
Article: U.S. Should Scrap Specialty Drug Label
The U.S. should abandon the specialty-drug label for high-cost drugs and follow suit with other countries that categorize drugs by their clinical- and cost-effectiveness, the authors of a recent article published in NEJM write. Categorizing all expensive drugs as being specialty drugs, Huseyin […]
ICER to CF Community: ‘We Support Actions to Receive Fair Prices’
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in a letter to the cystic fibrosis community says it supports fair prices that ensure patient access to key drugs. ICER attempted to reassure the community that its position on Trikafta remained one that stresses the need for price […]
How Can Pharma Best Interact with ICER?
A new report from FirstWord looks at how pharma can best engage with the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) as its influence in negotiations continues to increase. The report, "Engaging with ICER: Lessons and Insights for Pharma," includes insight from pharmaceutical industry […]
Using AI, NLP and Data Visualization with RWE to Generate Insights into Care Gaps: Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Fracture Risk in Patients with Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
Sponsored by Veradigm Real world data (RWD) are being used by an increasingly diverse group of stakeholders. As an example, patient advocacy groups are realizing the value they can offer to their communities by partnering with data analysis companies to explore treatment pathways, health […]
Report Suggests COVID-19 Could Cost Insurers up to $547 Billion
A new report from Wakely, commissioned by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), suggests COVID-19 could cost payers between $30 billion and $547 billion through 2021, FierceHealthcare reports. In its report, which is an update to the original report posted in March, Wakely says […]
Optum: 8 Forces That Will Determine the Future
Optum in a recent perspective offers eight main drivers that will determine the course of health care beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has upended the entire health care landscape — and the danger and breadth of the pandemic has accelerated change to previously unseen […]
Houghton St Press Launches New Journal
Houghton St Press recently launched its 10th journal, The Journal of Health Policy and Economics (JOHPEC). The new peer-reviewed journal will focus on health-related works by London School of Economics health policy students. JOHPEC is accepting submissions for its summer issue. To learn […]
HPA’s Hayes Talks Inflated Health Prices
The latest Relentless Health Value podcast features Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine President and CEO Peter Hayes in a discussion about inflated health costs. "One thing, among many, that Peter said during our conversation struck me," Relentless Health Value Host Stacey Richter says. "He […]
Health Affairs Editor: Institutions Must Use Power to Fight Racism
Health Affairs Editor Alan Weil in a recent blog post says health care institutions must "use their power to fight racism," adding that it is insufficient to only stand against and protest it. Weil's blog post, titled "The Social Determinants of Death," spotlights social determinants of health […]
NPC Blog Post Reflects on AMCP’s Format
The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) in a recent blog post reflects on the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's (AMCP) Format for Formulary Submissions, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. While the Format has made significant progress over 20 years, NPC says, there remain new […]
Study Finds ‘Extensive’ Financial Relationships Between Medical Associations, Industry
A recent study published in The BMJ suggests there exist "extensive" financial ties between influential medical associations and pharmaceutical and device companies. The study by Ray Moynihan et al. found out of 328 leaders, 72 percent (235) had some sort of financial ties in the […]
Inovalon Launches New Infection Surveillance, Reporting Solution
Inovalon has launched a new infection surveillance and reporting solution to help health care facilities in real-time map infections demonstrating antibiotic resistance. According to a press release, the InfectionWatch "helps facilities meet regulatory compliance requirements and empowers them to […]
Virtual Series to Offer Insight into What’s in Store for Payers
An upcoming FierceHealthcare online virtual series will look at what payers can expect in the year ahead and beyond. "FierceHealthPayer Virtual Series: A Look at the Year Ahead for Payers" is set to kick off June 1. Featured speakers for the event are: Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare […]
COTA’s Narayanan Talks RWD in Interview with Aetion
COTA Healthcare's Life Sciences Vice President Viraj Narayanan in a recent interview with Aetion discussed how oncological real-world data can be used to support clinical development. Narayanan says COTA's RWD set houses data from a "mix of academic and community sites." There are still […]
Shafrin: VBAs ‘Will Never Make Up a Majority of Reimbursement’
Healthcare economist Jason Shafrin says that while value-based agreements can be useful in a number of situations, they won't have significant play in drug reimbursement. Shafrin points to a recent paper on value-based agreements by Dubois, Westrich and Buelt. "In short, VBAs are a useful tool […]
Article Examines Coverage of Biosimilars
A recent article published in JAMA examines how commercial health plans cover biosimilars compared to their reference products. While Congress in 2010 approved a quicker pipeline for biosimilars, the authors write, "it is unclear whether and how health plans prioritize coverage of these […]
Study: No Confirmed Benefit of Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine in Treatment of COVID-19
Researchers in a recent study were unable to confirm any benefits of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19. "This multinational, observational, real-world study of patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation found that the use of a regimen containing […]
Report: High Drug Prices Could Threaten Access to Coronavirus Treatments
Pharmaceutical companies' high pricing could threaten access to potential COVID-19 treatments, The Guardian reports. Sofosbuvir, a hepatitis C drug, costs only about $5 to manufacture, but the list price in the U.S. is a staggering $18,610, according to the report. "There has been a long […]
PRMA’s Lodowski Highlights 2020 Updates to ICER’s Value Assessment Framework
PRMA Consulting's Nicole Lodowski in a recent blog post outlines seven key areas that have been updated in the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's (ICER) value assessment framework. According to the post, here are three of the seven key updates by ICER: Enhancing commitment to the […]
ICER Posts Report Outlining Planned Review of Supervised Injection Facilities
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) posted a new document outlining a planned review of supervised injection facilities (SIFs). According to a press release, ICER is accepting public input on the document until 5 p.m. EST June 9. An updated document will be posted about June […]
Inovalon Launches New Platform to Inform COVID-19 Action
Inovalon announced the launch of a new platform aimed at delivering data-driven insights to inform COVID-19 response plans. The Population Health Insights: COVID-19 Compass Dashboard, according to a press release, delivers actionable data to health plans, providers, employers and municipalities […]
