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Uncertainty, evidence and irrecoverable costs: informing approval, pricing and research decisions for health technologies

Posted on 17 October 2011

When should NICE restrict access to new drugs until more research has been undertaken?

A new decision framework to support NICE recommendations on the use of new drugs and devices in the NHS has been published by the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York.

Project lead, Professor Karl Claxton said:

“Uncertainties about treatment effects can never be entirely eliminated but they can be reduced by further evidence. This in turn facilitates better decisions on patient outcomes and on best use of finite resources in the NHS, which are crucial at a time of financial constraint.

Our research has established the key principles of what assessments are needed, as well as outlining how these assessments should be made. Our framework will enable NICE to make ‘only in research' recommendations in an explicit and transparent manner.”

Further details area available in CHE Research Paper 69 (PDF , 1,860kb) Uncertainty, evidence and irrecoverable costs: Informing approval, pricing and research decisions for health technologies.

Press Release 69 (PDF , 16kb)