Takada 2022
Reviewer(s):
Julie Glanville
David Kaunelis
Full Reference:
Takada S, Narukawa M. Acceptability of Manufacturer-Proposed Utility Values for NICE Cancer Medicine Appraisals: Analysis of Manufacturers’ Information Sources. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 2022;38(1).
Short description:
This paper reports research into the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal process from the perspective of how NICE committees respond to the source of utility values used by manufacturers in the economic models that they submit to NICE. The researchers assessed 136 single technology assessments for cancer medicines. They found that the NICE committee's acceptance of utility values proposed by manufacturers was not dependent on the source of the utility information and where utilities were rejected it was usually because the utility was not relevant to a UK population or data had not been adjusted appropriately. The main sources of utilities were (1) the manufacturers' trials, (2) mapping other health-related quality of life measures onto the EQ-5D using published algorithms and (3) published literature or technology assessment guidance. This suggests that where manufacturers have not gathered EQ-5D in their trials then litereature searches to identify published utilities which may be within the journal literature or other HTA reports will be needed.The authors also noted that more than one-third of the appraisals where the manufacturers used the EQ-5D in the main trials were not accepted by NICE. In addition there were cases where manufacturers used EQ-5D values that were not from their trials, and these proved acceptabel to NICE. This highlights the fact that manufacturers can refer to several completed appraisals for similar cancer types and use their utility values. So this suggests that searches for utility values for TAs being considered for submission would benefit from literature searches that include a search for previous NICE HTAs as well as published utilities which may reflect a UK population if the trial is not in a Uk-relevant population.
Limitations stated by the author(s):
This research is focused on NICE TAs in cancer indications only. The researchers only considered the source of the utility values and not the values or quality of those utilities. The researchers did not consider the quality of the economic models or trials that informed manufacturers' submissions. The authors also acknowledged that there may have been subjectivity in the selection of the main trials.
Limitations stated by the reviewer(s):
The research is focised on NICE technology assessments and as a result has a United Kingdom focus.
Study Type:
Retrospective investigation of information sources.
Related Chapters:
Economics
Tags:
EQ-5D
utilities
health technology assessments