First, to identify risks associated with the scientific evaluation of drugs considered for state reimbursement in Poland through exploring strategies of influence employed by multinational drug companies in relation to the Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AHTAPol). Second, to ascertain...

The number of biological agents (BAs) registered with an indication related to cancer treatment is flourishing and the cost of these treatments is rising dramatically, making the situation potentially unsustainable for healthcare systems. Here we focus on the examples of bevacizumab (BV) and...

There are no automatic links between the functional advantages and pressures associated with delegation to independent agencies for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and their emergence in national regulatory spaces. We argue that the rise of these organizations is mediated by contextual...

In attempting to constrain healthcare expenditure growth, health technology assessment (HTA) can enable policy-makers to look beyond budget impact and facilitate more rational decision-making. However lack of technical capacity and poor governance can limit use in some countries. Undertaking de...

European countries are increasingly utilising health technology assessment (HTA) to inform reimbursement decision-making. However, the current European HTA environment is very diverse, and projects are already underway to initiate a more efficient and aligned HTA practice within Europe. This...

Health technology assessment (HTA) is a dynamic, rapidly evolving process embracing different types of assessment that inform decisions about the value (i.e., benefits, risks and costs) of new and existing technologies. The role of HTA is to support health policy decision-making and financing in...

Questo contributo analizza e commenta alcune tendenze recenti nella regolazione dei prezzi delle specialità medicinali. Il lavoro si concentra sulla crescente difficoltà nel riconciliare le richieste di prezzo per i farmaci maggiormente innovativi, sviluppati dalle imprese a valle di attività...

This article explores how an Eastern European country could deal with orphan drugs access, combining EU policies with its own national settings. The cross-sectional observational study takes the total number of orphan drugs (61) available on EU level by March 2011, and then consecutively filters...

Health technology assessment seeks to inform health policy- and decision-makers by promoting use of current best evidence and by addressing country specific factors, such as local context and values. In France, public health benefit (PHB) is one of the criteria used to inform decisions on the...