There’s no question many cancer drugs and specialty pharmaceuticals are expensive, and their benefits often vary from patient to patient. Several years ago, a number of non-government organizations (NGOs) began launching “value frameworks” to help patients and payers decipher which drugs and devices may be most beneficial – and to provide guidance on appropriate market prices.
There are over a half dozen U.S. value assessment frameworks including the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER); American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO); Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s DrugAbacus; the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN); and a collaboration between the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC-AHA).
According to the National Pharmaceutical Council, these frameworks reflect the interest and expertise of the organizations developing them. ACC-AHA, ASCO, and NCCN are designed by professional societies to assist with shared-decision making between patients and physicians. ICER and Drug Abacus have more of a payer focus. ASCO, NCCN and Drug Abacus all have an oncology focus and ACC-AHA is focused on cardiology.
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