News from Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Articles
Value Viewpoint: February 12, 2026
(2/13, Kimberly Westrich, LinkedIn) comments “American Patients vs Foreign Governments—A Tale of 2 Value Sets, a new study by my NPC colleagues, published in the American Journal of Managed Care, examines the disconnect between American patient priorities and the restrictive HTA frameworks used abroad. The research highlights two critical gaps: preserving patient access and autonomy, and conducting a comprehensive evaluation of how treatments impact lives...The study concludes that by rejecting foreign ‘one-size-fits-all’ assessments, the U.S. can build a reimbursement model that treats innovative medicine as a long-term investment in health rather than a short-term expense to be minimized.” Full
Treatment Options for oHCM – Aligning Guidance With Real-World Data to Improve Outcomes
(2/17, Andrew Willeford, PharmD, PhD, BCCP, Laura Velazquez, PharmD, PhC, BCACP, Pharmacy Times) “...This section highlights how real-world evidence (RWE) validates clinical trial data, specifically noting that 85% of patients in real-world settings achieved a reduction in obstruction (Valsalva LVOT gradient <30 mmHg) at a 32-month cutoff point. Furthermore, the discussion justifies the FDA-mandated monitoring protocols, explaining that the frequency of echocardiograms is rooted in robust RWE and the necessity of managing the risk of heart failure due to systolic dysfunction.” View Video
Value-Based Care Data Gap: Why Metrics Fail to Reach the Bedside
(2/17, Ido Zamberg, MD, KevinMD.com) comments “...When performance data is democratized and accessible where care happens, when AI can identify specific clinical scenarios requiring intervention, and when real-time feedback replaces quarterly dashboards, we can finally deliver on the promise of continuous quality improvement. The gap between executive dashboards and bedside decision-making is not inevitable. Solving this problem is how we will make value-based care work as intended: transforming data from a reporting burden into a clinical asset, and shortening the evidence-to-practice gap so that what we know works actually gets implemented consistently.” Full
Press Releases
ISPOR Publishes Health Economics and Outcomes Research Competencies Framework
(2/17, ISPOR Press Release) “...‘Since its initial release in 2020, the ISPOR HEOR Competencies Framework has proven to be an invaluable tool for those interested in gaining HEOR knowledge and skills as well as those who train or hire HEOR professionals,’ stated ISPOR Chief Science Officer Laura Pizzi, PharmD, MPH. ‘The field of HEOR has become increasingly broad and specialized and is advancing rapidly with respect to methods and their application to health decisions. Expansion of the competencies related to data-centric aspects of HEOR—statistics, analytics, real world evidence and artificial intelligence—was particularly critical. The updates reflect the ongoing need for HEOR professionals to have solid communication skills, business acumen, and an understanding of the healthcare policy environment. Annesha White and Soham Shukla, who co-led the workgroup, brought tremendous passion to the project, as did more than 30 members who provided a diverse array of expertise.’” Full
NICE Recommends First Ever Disease Modifying Treatment for ARG1 Deficiency
(2/17, NICE Press Release) “In our final draft guidance, we’ve recommended pegzilarginase (also known as Loargys and made by Immedica) for treating ARG1-D in adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and older.” Full
Journals
The Timeliness of Health Plan Drug Coverage Policy Changes to FDA Label Revisions
Daniel E Enright , Molly T Beinfeld, Claire Brennan, Angela Lin, James D Motyka, Jonathan D Campbell, James Chambers
February 13, 2026, Health Affairs Scholar
Effectiveness and Safety of 7-Day High-Dose Primaquine and Single-Dose Tafenoquine Versus 14-Day Low-Dose Primaquine in Patients with Plasmodium Vivax Malaria (EFFORT): A Multicentre, Open-Label, Randomised, Controlled, Superiority Trial
Tamiru Shibiru Degaga, et al.
February 11, 2026, The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Comparative Effectiveness Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Real-World Evidence for Real World Decisions
Eathar Shakweh, et al.
February 13, 2026, Med
Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Therapies for Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Cheng Hao Tien, et al.
February 14, 2026, Scientific Reports
Flexibility in the Modelling of Comparative Effectiveness in the Absence of Head-to-Head Comparisons in the NICE Single Technology Appraisal of Fenfluramine for Treating Seizures Associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: An External Assessment Group Perspective
Andrea Fernández Coves, et al.
February 16, 2026, PharmacoEconomics
Accelerating AI Innovation in Healthcare: Real-World Clinical Research Applications on the Mayo Clinic Platform
Yue Yu, et al.
February 16, 2026, NPJ Health Systems
The Duke MG Patient Registry III. Comparative Effectiveness of Azathioprine and Mycophenolate Mofetil in Generalized Myasthenia Gravis, a Retrospective Single Center Review
Donald B Sanders, et al.
February 17, 2026, Muscle & Nerve