Boston, MA, USA - Health care companies face increased pressure to compare the effectiveness of new treatments as early as possible. A study published in
Value in Health reports on a novel statistical method that can be used to compare approved treatments even early in the product’s life cycle.
Researchers at Analysis Group Inc., a health economic consultancy in Boston, MA, and at Shire Development LLC, in Wayne, PA, illustrate in their report how the method works. In their article, “
Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparisons: A New Tool for Timely Comparative Effectiveness Research,” the authors discuss the application of this method in the areas of oncology, dermatology, diabetes, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. While randomized head-to-head trials are the gold standard for comparing treatments, the new approach can provide indirect comparative evidence when such trials are not available. “The key is to fully leverage clinical trial data from pharmaceutical or device manufacturers,” says James Signorovitch, PhD, of Analysis Group, lead author of the article.
Generally, clinical trials used to gain regulatory approval for new drugs or devices do not include comparisons of competing products. The study’s authors address this by using detailed patient data from the new product’s trials to match populations studied in published trials of competing products. Treatment outcomes are then evaluated between comparable populations.
The article was sponsored by Shire Development LLC. Assistance with the writing of this press release was provided by Shire Development LLC.
Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research as well as policy papers to help health care leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal is published bi-monthly and has over 8,000 subscribers (clinicians, decision makers, and researchers worldwide).
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is a nonprofit, international, educational and scientific organization that strives to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness of health care resource use to improve health.
For more information:
www.ispor.org