E.V.I.dently
December 2009
Vol.1, No. 9

Message From NPC
Evidence-Based Medicine Research and Issues
Health Technology Assessment Group News
In Other News
Events

Message From NPC

Looking Back … and Looking Forward

Each year seems busier and more tumultuous than the last, but it would be hard to top 2009. Budgets and payrolls tightened as every part of the health care sector faced major business challenges, and the uncertainty of the health care reform debate in Washington grew larger as the year progressed. So as the year closes, we at the National Pharmaceutical Council think it’s worthwhile to look back at what happened this year, and just as importantly, what might happen in 2010. MORE

Evidence-Based Medicine Research and News

CER Is “Demystified” at NPC-AstraZeneca Town Hall Meeting

With more than 18,000 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published each year, it’s challenging for health care providers and patients to figure out which outcomes and information are valid or most relevant to them. A new study, published this month by the National Pharmaceutical Council, is now available to help by offering a series of easy-to-use checklists to evaluate RCTs and other types of comparative effectiveness research (CER). MORE

NPC Comments on National Comprehensive Cancer Network Comparative Effectiveness Research White Paper

NPC provided comments and testified on the proposed “National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Comparative Therapeutic Index TM as a Paradigm for Near Term Comparative Effectiveness Analyses of Existing Data in Oncology” White Paper that was released as a draft. MORE

HTA Group News

AHRQ Issues New Funding Opportunity Announcements

The Agency for Healthcare Reform and Quality (AHRQ) issued three new Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) in December. MORE

NICE Announces Launch of a New Database to Inform the Prioritization of European Cancer Research

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) launched a new database on December 3 that will help with the identification and prioritization of future cancer research across Europe. The Database of Cancer Uncertainties (DoCU) has been developed through the Coordination of Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines in Europe (CoCanCPG) initiative and is a consortium of 16 institutional partners from 11 countries funded by the European Commission. MORE

NICE Conference Discusses U.S. Perspectives on Value of Innovation

U.S. perspectives on how innovation in health care is valued were discussed during a panel session at NICE’s 11th annual conference held December 2-3. The session, called “International perspectives on innovation and value,” gave delegates the chance to hear from professionals involved with the U.S. health care system. The discussion featured Steve Pearson, President of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review at Harvard, and Sean Tunis, Director of the Center for Medical Technology in Baltimore. MORE

In Other News

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. Joins NPC

NPC announced that Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI) has joined the health policy research organization as a member. MORE

Events

NPC’s Dr. Paul Joins Panel Discussion at FDA/CMS Summit

Dr. Les Paul, NPC VP for Clinical and Scientific Affairs, participated in a panel discussion on “New Commercial Realities: Pricing, Marketing and Product Acceptance” at the FDA/CMS Summit 2009 on December 4 in Washington, D.C. Panel participants included Rob Seidman, former Chief Pharmacy Officer at Wellpoint; Chuck Stevens, Vice President and General Manager, Reimbursement and Market Access, at PAREXEL Consulting; and Dee Prince, Co-founder and Principal of the Health Strategies Group. The purpose of the panel was to look at some of the existing commercial programs that may be a jump-start on health care reform.

NPC to Exhibit at National Health Policy Conference