National Pharmaceutical Council Comments on Revised ICER Value Assessment Framework

(Washington, DC, February 1, 2017)—The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) commented on the Institute of Clinical and Economic Review’s (ICER) updated value assessment framework, which was released today.

“We recognize that developing frameworks is challenging and appreciate that ICER has made significant changes,” said NPC President Dan Leonard. “We look forward to reviewing the updated framework in greater detail and understanding how these changes could work in practice.”

NPC has remained engaged with ICER and offered constructive feedback to improve and evolve its framework. On initial review, ICER appears to have taken steps to improve the transparency and reproducibility of its economic models, formally included patient-centered factors into the framework, and considerably revised its approach to budget impact assessment by incorporating a range of potential product uptake rates and potential prices in its calculations. It also appears that ICER will no longer calculate a value-based benchmark price based on a budget threshold, although it has not eliminated its budget threshold, nor its use of quality-adjusted life year thresholds. These were among some of the areas NPC had encouraged ICER to address. NPC plans to submit written comments to ICER on the revised framework.

“We look forward to continuing our constructive dialogue with ICER and other developers as they continue to evolve their frameworks,” Leonard said.

Last year, NPC developed a set of guiding practices that can serve as a guidepost for framework developers. As NPC has noted, establishing and adhering to guiding practices can help ensure that value assessment frameworks are effective tools for advancing patient care and achieving better clinical, economic and humanistic outcomes, rather than well-intentioned but flawed tools that impede such progress. NPC also has emphasized that multiple frameworks are needed to provide information that can be used by a variety of decision-makers.

In addition to the guiding practices, NPC has produced several educational resources about value assessment frameworks:

• Video: Incorporating Stakeholder Views Into Value Assessment Frameworks
• Current Landscape: Value Assessment Frameworks
• Assessing Value: Promise and Pitfalls Conference and Video

About the National Pharmaceutical Council
The National Pharmaceutical Council is a health policy research organization dedicated to the advancement of good evidence and science, and to fostering an environment in the United States that supports medical innovation. Founded in 1953 and supported by the nation’s major research-based pharmaceutical companies, NPC focuses on research development, information dissemination, and education on the critical issues of evidence, innovation and the value of medicines for patients. For more information, visit www.npcnow.org and follow NPC on Twitter @npcnow.