BRIEF—Can ICER fix what's broken?

14 June 2019

The controversial USA-based Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is examining its value framework, the rules and assumptions it uses to analyze new drugs’ cost effectiveness. How, the ICER asked, can we improve our approach in 2020 and beyond?

The Institute for Patient Access (IfPA) responded to the ICER's request for comments, outlining some fundamental shortcomings. Recommendations include:

  • Accommodating the unique burden of each disease
  • Relying on and waiting for real-world evidence
  • Phasing out the QALY
  • Incorporating all benefits of a treatment  

You can read the full comments  here and a summary here.