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November 2005
Health Technology Assessment
Over recent years, growth in healthcare spending within Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries has exceeded overall economic
growth. This trend, coupled with concerns about the superior benefits of some new
medicines over existing, often cheaper medicines, has prompted healthcare payers to
resort to various methods to contain drug costs. Many countries are now considering
Health Technology Assessment (HTA), which refers to the process of using existing
evidence to evaluate the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and broader impact
of a health technology on patients and the healthcare system as a more rational means
of determining the clinical and economic benefits of new medicines.
Novartis Position
Novartis believes that Health Technology Assessment (HTA) represents an
important means to enable governments and other health payers to develop
mechanisms for evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of medicines and
other health technologies. We also believe that innovative medicines offer a
cost-effective means of treating and preventing ill health, and we are committed to
provide governments and other health payers with timely, accurate and detailed
information to demonstrate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of our medicines.
Novartis believes that HTA should be guided by 12 key principles: (1) HTAs should
be based on a clear, sophisticated and differentiated view of what constitutes value;
(2) HTAs should be transparent and balanced; (3) HTAs should be based on early
and inclusive dialogue, including with patients; (4) evaluations should allow new
data to be considered; (5) flexibility is required in handling uncertainty; (6)
comprehensive understanding of the benefits of a medicine in disease
management is needed; (7) payers should commit to rewarding added value; (8)
HTA outcomes should be implemented; (9) HTA should apply to all healthcare
interventions, not just medicines; (10) appraisal should take place at the national
level; (11) HTA should remain separate from regulatory review; and (12)
evaluations should take into account all benefits, direct as well as indirect.