May 14, 2021
In 2018, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced a valuation study that ultimately recommended that researchers replace the EQ-5D-3L quality of life measure with a modified instrument called the EQ-5D-5L. A lengthy debate ensued....
May 3, 2021
On April 16, 2021, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released its final evidence report on two new treatments for lupus nephritis: Benlysta (manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline) and Lupkynis (Aurinia Pharmaceuticals). In the report, ICER claims to have...
Apr 23, 2021
After years of perpetually rising healthcare costs – not to mention a worldwide pandemic – many elected officials and policymakers – at both the state and federal level – are looking for ways to bring down the cost of public health programs. More and more often, these...
Mar 17, 2021
On the March 2, 2021, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released its final evidence report on three emerging treatments for high cholesterol patients: inclisiran (Novartis), bempedoic acid and bempedoic acid/ezetimibe (Esperion Therapeutics). Not...
Jan 8, 2021
There are many reasons for patients and advocates to be concerned about organizations – including the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) – that use the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY), and their growing influence over insurance coverage for new drugs...
Aug 17, 2020
The recent Health Affairs blog Who is sowing seeds of confusion about the QALY? fails to acknowledge the most fundamental problem with the Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY): the QALY is a mathematically impossible construct. Debates of the merits and scope of QALY...
