HTA News and Events

Guidance for Reporting Real-World Evidence [CADTH, May 2023]

The final guidance methodology for reporting RWE from CADTH.

ICER Publishes White Paper Recommending Health Technology Assessment Methods that Support Health Equity [ICER, March 2023]

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has published a new White Paper: “Advancing Health Technology Assessment Methods that Support Health Equity.” This paper evaluates the functions of health technology assessment (HTA) through an equity lens and proposes key methods through which HTA can support society’s goal of improving health equity for racial, ethnic, and other socially disadvantaged groups.

CADTH, ICER, and NICE Release Joint Position Statement on Redacting Clinical Data Awaiting Publication [CADTH, April 2023]

CADTH, Canada’s drug and health technology agency, in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in the US and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England, is announcing a position statement entitled Confidentiality of Clinical Evidence Informing Health Technology Assessment Decision-Making. The statement describes how the 3 health technology assessment (HTA) bodies are changing how they handle some confidential clinical evidence that is submitted through their respective review processes to streamline processes and increase transparency.

Study: One-fifth of recent FDA approved drugs not authorized, reimbursed in other countries [raps.org, February 2023]

More than one-fifth of drugs recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were not approved or recommended for public reimbursement in other countries, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

From Bag Man to Honest Broker [Mednews.com.au, July 2023]

An interview with Meindert Boysen of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom about the importance of international collaboration to further HTA.

Around The World in HTAs: Spain – Are We There Yet? [OHE, March 2023]

In this new series from OHE, they take a look at the healthcare system and HTA process in different countries. This issue focuses on Spain.

CADTH, ICER, and NICE Release Joint Position Statement on Redacting Clinical Data Awaiting Publication [CADTH, April 2023]

CADTH, Canada’s drug and health technology agency, in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in the US and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England, is announcing a position statement entitled Confidentiality of Clinical Evidence Informing Health Technology Assessment Decision-Making. The statement describes how the 3 health technology assessment (HTA) bodies are changing how they handle some confidential clinical evidence that is submitted through their respective review processes to streamline processes and increase transparency.

Flash report and Terms of Reference - First meetings of the subgroups of the Member State Coordination Group on HTA (HTACG) (24-25 April 2023) [European Commission, April 2023]

The first meetings of the four subgroups of the Member State Coordination Group on Health Technology Assessment (HTACG) set up by Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 were held on 24-25 April 2023 in Brussels. A flash report on these meetings is now available

Updated rolling plan - Implementation of the Regulation on health technology assessment (April 2023) [European Commission, April 2023]

An updated rolling plan for the implementation of the Regulation on HTA is now available.

International collaboration - advancing the use of real-world evidence in health technology assessment [NICE.org.uk, January 2023]

Dr Ravinder Claire outlines recent progress towards greater use of real-world evidence in regulatory decision making. He also considers the implications and opportunities for NICE and its stakeholders.

Health technology assessment to inform decision making in China: progress, challenges, and sustainability [The BMJ, June 2023]

"Yingyao Chen and colleagues examine China’s health technology assessment system and suggest how it can be strengthened".

Use of health technology assessment in drug reimbursement decisions in China [The BMJ, June 2023]

"China has made substantial progress in using health technology assessment, but more effort should be made to improve the quality of evidence, strengthen capacity, and enhance transparency, say Wen Chen and colleagues".

Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review – Glossary [The Department of Health and Aged Care, April 2023]

Definitions related to HTA to be used in documents related to the Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review (HTA Review) in Australia.

Estimating the Return on Investment of Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn) [CGD, March 2023]

It was found that HTAIn has an overall realized return of 9:1 when comparing the total costs of Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn) to the benefits from three Health Technology Assessments (HTAs)—safety engineered syringes, cervical cancer screening strategies and the Truenat diagnostic platform.

Jamaica joins the Health Technology Assessment Network of the Americas (RedETSA) [PAHO, April 2023]

The Ministry of Health and Wellness of Jamaica has officially become a member of the Health Technology Assessment Network of the Americas (RedETSA), of which PAHO acts as Secretariat. With this incorporation, RedETSA reaches 41 members from 21 countries in the Region of the Americas. Jamaica is the second English Caribbean country to participate in the Network, after Bermuda, which shows the growing interest in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in the Caribbean.

MoH launches new guidelines on assessment [Graphicnews, June 2023]

The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ghana has launched a document containing the guidelines and standards for conducting health technology assessment (HTA) to ensure value for money and better health outcomes.

Rwanda’s Health-Care Success Holds Lessons for Others [Think Global Health, May 2023]

What did Rwanda change between the genocide and the pandemic to improve its healthcare accessibility, and what lessons can other low-income countries adopt to strengthen their own healthcare systems? Three developments stand out: low-cost community-based health insurance plans, national investments in rural health posts, and ramped-up foreign collaborations.

Health Technology Assessment could enable Uganda to make quicker progress towards Universal Health Coverage [LSHTM, April 2023]

One of the common approaches to evidence-informed priority setting around the world is Health Technology Assessment (HTA). Countries interested in building HTA-like mechanisms in their own contexts need to understand the current situation in their setting with respect to explicit healthcare priority setting, how it is undertaken (e.g., the extent to which ‘evidence’ is considered), who is involved, and how priority setting decisions are implemented through an organized institutional approach (if one exists). To support that, the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) has developed a framework to be utilized in undertaking HTA situational (landscape) analyses that could inform future targeted capacity strengthening efforts. The iDSI framework has been used in a number of countries including Ethiopia and more recently Uganda.

Embracing health technology assessment for medical devices in MENA [omnia-health.com, March 2023]

There is a progressive move towards value-based healthcare and the optimization of healthcare budgets and spending in the Middle East and Africa as well as globally. This poses significant challenges to the healthcare ecosystem. Although health technology assessment (HTA) is mature and well-established in the pharmaceutical field, it is still expanding in the field of medical technology. Given this, Mecomed embarked on a study to explore the differences between HTA for pharmaceuticals and medical technologies.

Getting Quality Medicines to Patients Faster in Africa: How to Solve Access Issues [IQVIA.com, January 2023]

Africa houses 1.2 billion people, about 11% of the global population. Along with this population burden, the continent also bears a disproportionate burden of disease, with 60% of Africans living with HIV/AIDS, and more than 90% of the annual global malaria cases being in Africa. The continent is also afflicted by significant infectious diseases and increasing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Africa has faced significant public health challenges due to insufficient access to quality, safe, efficacious, and affordable medical products over the years. In 2022, some children reportedly lost their lives from acute kidney injury in Gambia after ingesting imported adulterated cough syrups. Events such as these are not just shocking, but also distressing knowing they could have been easily avoided.