Objective: The objective of this paper is to examine how well the QALY captures the health gains generated by cancer treatments, with particular focus on the methods for constructing QALYs preferred by NICE. Methods: Data were obtained using a keyword search of the MEDLINE database and a hand...

Without changes in the current policies, pharmaceutical companies will eventually cease responding to the incentives to develop orphan drugs, because they will increasingly be uncertain whether the drugs, if developed, will be reimbursed. </AbstractSection> Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014