News from Thursday, May 25, 2023
Articles
Medicare Drug Price Talks Look to Tap Real-World Evidence Data
(5/25, Jeannie Baumann, Bloomberg Law) reports “...‘By generating evidence about the comparative benefits and potential risks of health-care options shown to have efficacy, CER provides individuals and those who care for them with a fuller understanding of their options so that they can make the best choices for themselves, which is important given that people have individual needs and circumstances and there is seldom a one-size-fits-all solution,’ [PCORI executive director Nakela L. Cook] said. Comparative effectiveness research can generate real-world evidence but not all CER is conducted with that aim, Cook said.” Paid Subscription Required
Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on US Health Care: An Interview with Corey Ford and Kimberly Westrich, Xcenda
(5/24, The Evidence Base) reports “...Kimberly Westrich: No, it is unlikely that IRA implementation will result in a national value assessment framework. We have an incredibly complex multi-payer system, which requires context-specific value assessments. Given current market structures and incentives, health insurers will want the flexibility to chart their own paths when it comes to defining treatment value and negotiating prices. While the IRA will certainly reinvigorate discussions of value assessment and value-based pricing, development and application of a national value assessment framework isn’t feasible. However, IRA implementation will shed new light on the importance of high-quality evidence and rigorous assessment methods, which may lead to more formalized methodological standards for value assessment.” Full
Brodalumab Drug Survival Shows Low Rate for Psoriasis Patients Switching from Ixekizumab
(5/25, Tim Smith, HCP Live) reports “...‘In conclusion, this study provides more insight on real-world nonmedical switching for PsO patients, but drug survival of Brodalumab was low in our patient group with only 53%,’ [researchers] wrote. ‘Inadequate disease control was more important than side effects. More research is needed to provide better switching outcomes, and determinants for successful switching or choosing biologicals.’” Full
Using Advanced Payments In Population-Based Models To Address Equity
(5/25, Joshua M. Liao and Amol S. Navathe, Health Affairs Forefront) comments “...Incorporating advanced payments into multiple population-based models from multiple payers would increase the salience to prospective or participating organizations; create a broad base of experience and evidence about the impact of these payments; and ultimately support a future wave of equity-focused population-based models. In these models, advanced payments could support initial investments by population-based model participants while ongoing per-beneficiary payments enable ongoing support and spending benchmark adjustments account for the impact of social drivers of health on utilization and spending outcomes.” Full
Press Releases
Study Finds Ketamine Is at Least as Effective as ECT for Treating Major Depression
(5/24, Mass General Brigham Press Release) “...‘For the ever-growing number of patients who do not respond to conventional psychiatric treatments and need a higher level of care, ECT continues to be the most effective treatment in treatment-resistant depression,’ said Murat Altinay, MD, Psychiatrist and lead of the trial site at Cleveland Clinic. ‘This study shows us that intravenous ketamine was non-inferior to ECT for treatment of non-psychotic treatment resistant depression and could be considered as a suitable alternative treatment for the condition.’” Full
Journals
Ketamine versus ECT for Nonpsychotic Treatment-Resistant Major Depression
Amit Anand, M.D., et al.
May 24, 2023, The New England Journal of Medicine
Patient-Reported Outcomes for People with Diabetes: What and How to Measure? A Narrative Review
Caroline B Terwee, et al.
May 24, 2023, Diabetologia
Evaluation of Diversity of Clinical Trials Informing Health Technology Assessments in the US: A 5-Year Analysis of ICER Reviews
Foluso Agboola, MBBS, MPH, et al.
May 25, 2023, Value in Health