TRENDS IN THE USE OF REAL-WORLD EVIDENCE IN PRESS RELEASES ISSUED BY THE TOP 15 PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
Author(s)
Khang Nguyen, PharmD, MS1, Christopher M. Blanchette, MA, MBA, MSc, PhD2, Ruslan Horblyuk, MBA, PhD3, Sissi Pham, PharmD3;
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 2Novo Nordisk, Doylestown, PA, USA, 3AESARA, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 2Novo Nordisk, Doylestown, PA, USA, 3AESARA, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
OBJECTIVES: Real-world evidence (RWE) plays an increasingly prominent role in pharmaceutical value demonstration, and manufacturers are incorporating RWE into public-facing communications. This study evaluated longitudinal trends in the use, characterization, and positioning of RWE within pharmaceutical press releases (PRs) issued by leading global manufacturers.
METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive review of pharmaceutical PRs published between 2003 and 2024 was conducted. PR were systematically retrieved from publicly accessible online archives of the top 15 global pharmaceutical companies, excluding companies with non-functional or incomplete archives. An initial keyword-based screening was applied to identify PRs referencing RWE-related concepts, followed by manual review to confirm relevance. Eligible PRs were categorized by product specificity (product-specific vs. non-product-specific), type of RWE reference (general mention vs explicit RWE-based claim), and inclusion of comparative data. Temporal trends were assessed using descriptive analyses to characterize changes in frequency and content over time.
RESULTS: A total of 903 PRs referencing RWE were identified across the study period. Mentions of RWE were uncommon prior to 2010 but increased steadily thereafter, with sustained growth observed from 2014 through 2024. Overall, 62.3% (n=565) of RWE-related PRs were product-specific. Among product-specific communications, the majority included general references to RWE, such as announcements of real-world data generation, study initiation, or data availability (81.4%, n=460). However, 18.6% (n=105) contained explicit RWE-based claims regarding product outcomes. Of the PRs featuring explicit RWE-based claims, 42.9% (n=45) referenced a comparator product. Temporal trend showed an increase in the absolute number of product-specific PRs containing explicit RWE-based claims.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of RWE in pharmaceutical PRs has expanded substantially over the past two decades, with a shift toward explicit, product-focused RWE-based claims. As public communications increasingly reference RWE, greater attention to transparency, methodological rigor, and contextualization of findings may be warranted to support informed interpretation by health care stakeholders.
METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive review of pharmaceutical PRs published between 2003 and 2024 was conducted. PR were systematically retrieved from publicly accessible online archives of the top 15 global pharmaceutical companies, excluding companies with non-functional or incomplete archives. An initial keyword-based screening was applied to identify PRs referencing RWE-related concepts, followed by manual review to confirm relevance. Eligible PRs were categorized by product specificity (product-specific vs. non-product-specific), type of RWE reference (general mention vs explicit RWE-based claim), and inclusion of comparative data. Temporal trends were assessed using descriptive analyses to characterize changes in frequency and content over time.
RESULTS: A total of 903 PRs referencing RWE were identified across the study period. Mentions of RWE were uncommon prior to 2010 but increased steadily thereafter, with sustained growth observed from 2014 through 2024. Overall, 62.3% (n=565) of RWE-related PRs were product-specific. Among product-specific communications, the majority included general references to RWE, such as announcements of real-world data generation, study initiation, or data availability (81.4%, n=460). However, 18.6% (n=105) contained explicit RWE-based claims regarding product outcomes. Of the PRs featuring explicit RWE-based claims, 42.9% (n=45) referenced a comparator product. Temporal trend showed an increase in the absolute number of product-specific PRs containing explicit RWE-based claims.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of RWE in pharmaceutical PRs has expanded substantially over the past two decades, with a shift toward explicit, product-focused RWE-based claims. As public communications increasingly reference RWE, greater attention to transparency, methodological rigor, and contextualization of findings may be warranted to support informed interpretation by health care stakeholders.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
RWD137
Topic
Real World Data & Information Systems
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas