CER Daily Newsfeed

No Clear Winner in SGLT2 Showdown for Cardiovascular Disease

(122, Nicole Lou, MedPage Today) reports “Individual SGLT2 inhibitors showed roughly comparable cardiovascular effectiveness and safety in an observational study of real-world claims data...‘These findings reinforce the use of dapagliflozin, 10 mg, or other SGLT2 inhibitors when the therapeutic goal is to reduce the risk of heart failure,’ the authors noted in JAMA Internal Medicine.” Subscription Required

Medicare Reforms Necessitate More Formulary Oversight

(1/23, A. Mark Fendrick and Kirsten Axelsen, Health Affairs Forefront) comments “...If we want to make real progress in controlling health care costs and improving access to high-value therapies, policies other than those that interfere with doctors’ clinical judgment—and potentially jeopardize patient health—should be considered. Instead, an approach focused on reducing the billions spent annually on unnecessary and potentially harmful clinical services, such as those given a ‘D’ rating by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, could both decrease spending and improve patient-centered outcomes. The savings incurred from reduced use of low-value care could fund more generous coverage of high-value care.” Full

Even Modest Meds Adherence Can Be Financially Transformative for Health Systems

(1/23, Bill Siwicki, Healthcare IT News) reports “...[Dr. Colin Banas, chief medical officer at DrFirst:] Improving medication adherence even modestly can be financially transformative for health systems, especially when it impacts quality metrics like those tied to CMS star ratings for Medicare Advantage plans. The difference between a four-star and a five-star plan – where five stars bring greater incentives and better marketability – often boils down to a 1% or 2% improvement in adherence for conditions like diabetes or heart failure.” Full

England’s NICE Leads Global Effort On Surrogate Endpoints For Cost-Effectiveness

(1/23, Eliza Slawther, Pink Sheet) reports “...An international working group led by England’s health technology assessment (HTA) agency NICE has produced best practice guidance for drugmakers on how to select surrogate endpoints and check that these are suitable for evidence submissions in the context of cost-effectiveness.” Subscription Required