News from Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Articles
Coming Together to Ensure Neurological Treatment Access: Q&A With Kavita V. Nair, PhD
(3/12, Christina Mattina, Kavita V. Nair, PhD, The American Journal of Managed Care) reports “...[Nair:] Neurologists and patients are presented with several options, which is very exciting, but how do you choose? How do you have evidence when the drugs’ markets and availability are rapidly evolving? That [led to] the intersection of: How do you compare drugs? How do you do it in a way that the drugs and the populations are comparable? How do you use methods we’ve developed in outcomes research, and how do you apply them?” Full
Medicare Middlemen Shouldn’t Get in the Way of Personalized Medicine
(3/12, Peter Pitts, RealClearHealth) comments “When speaking last month at the White House, Oracle founder Larry Ellison said that the newly announced ‘Stargate’ – an artificial intelligence infrastructure project – will pave the way to the United States developing a ‘cancer vaccine.’...In the past, such advances have led our country to longer, healthier lives, to save premature babies, and irradicate devastating diseases. Innovators should be rewarded for propelling the future of care and treatment options for the millions of Americans. Instead, the unfortunate reality is that innovators now stand to be punished due to outdated policies governing Medicare administered by third party middlemen with financial incentive to deny access to innovative diagnostic testing.” Full
Evidence-Based Medicine: AI Scribes Actually Work
(3/12, Dr. Robert (Bob) Murry, MedCity News) comments “...AI scribes represent a significant advancement in healthcare technology, and peer-reviewed evidence is building in support of their effectiveness. They offer a practical solution to the documentation burden that plagues many healthcare providers. By reducing the time spent on administrative tasks, AI scribes allow physicians to focus more on what truly matters — patient care. As the technology continues to evolve and improve, its adoption will likely become more widespread, further enhancing its benefits.” Full
UK: Merck KGaA’s Mavenclad Tablets Recommended by NICE for Wider MS Use
(3/12, Emily Kimber, PMLiVE) reports “Merck KGaA’s Mavenclad (cladribine) tablets have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to treat a broader group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.” Full
Press Releases
Advancing the Economics of Mental Health: A Global Perspective
(3/12, ISPOR Press Release) “Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, announced today the publication of a special themed section of research papers exploring mental health economics, highlighting impacts on caregivers, productivity, and interventions’ cost-effectiveness. Guest editors for the themed section are Rachael Fleurence, PhD, MSc, Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD, Director of the Institute for Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, and core faculty member of the Center for Health Decision Science at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.” Full
Institute for Clinical and Economic Review to Assess Treatment for Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis
(3/11, ICER Press Release) “The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) announced today that it will assess the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of brensocatib (Insmed Incorporated) for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB). The assessment will be publicly discussed during a meeting of the CTAF in September 2025, where the independent evidence review panel will deliberate and vote on evidence presented in ICER’s report.” Full
Turacoz Group Leads the Future of Evidence Synthesis With AI-Powered Living Systematic Reviews at World Evidence, Pricing and Access (EPA) Congress, Europe 2025
(3/12, Turacoz Healthcare BV Press Release) “...Dr. Namrata Singh emphasized the critical role of AI in modern evidence-based medicine, stating, ‘In an era of rapid advancements and vast data sources, it is essential to develop innovative methodologies for gathering, synthesizing, and disseminating high-quality evidence. AI-powered solutions enhance the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of medical insights, empowering healthcare professionals to make well-informed, data-driven decisions that improve patient care and drive scientific progress.’” Full
Journals
Editorial: Advancing Mental Health Economics: Insights From the Themed Section
Rachael L. Fleurence, Jagpreet Chhatwal
March 2025, Value in Health
Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Medicare Beneficiaries with Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis (TREAT-BICUSPID): Statistical Analysis Plan
Parth N Patel, et al.
March 11, 2025, medRxiv
Letter to the Editor: Enhancing the Evidence Base: Constructive Feedback on the Comparative Effectiveness of Torsemide and Furosemide in Heart Failure
Ramazan Aslan, et al.
March 11, 2025, Acta Cardiologica