ISSUE: COVID-19 has spread across the globe in an unprecedented speed, leading to over 10 million cases in just over 6 months. In absence of a treatment, governments had only costly prevention strategies to control its spread. Repurposing drugs approved for other indications as well as developing new drugs are the two main strategies deployed to find an effective treatment. To use any of these drugs on a large scale, however, governments require clear evidence of efficacy and safety. Large-scale randomised controlled trials, for example RECOVERY and SOLIDARITY trials, have so far provided evidence to support some treatments such as low-dose dexamethasone and remdesivir for those with severe COVID-19. However, it will not be clear whether a clinically-effective drug will be cost-effective when used in different countries and settings affected by the pandemic. Nevertheless, many countries have recommended these treatments based on the clinical efficacy evidence alone, without going through the HTA process.

OVERVIEW:

The panel will debate the need for HTA of drugs developed specifically or repurposed for treating COVID-19 prior to recommending them for widespread prescribing and use.

Amanda Adler will moderate the panel and provide an overview of the treatments available for managing COVID-19 and the evidence supporting their use.

Dalia Dawoud will present the academic perspective and will make the case for using HTA to inform decisions relating to the choice of COVID-19 treatments to recommend for widespread use on a healthcare system level.

Mark Chakravarty will present the pharmaceutical industry perspective, making the case for expedited access to all COVID-19 treatments based on clinical efficacy evidence using expedited HTA process.

Kalipso Chalkidou will present the perspective of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) perspective and argue for the need for innovative approaches to value assessment and pricing of treatments to be used in pandemic situations similar to COVID-19.