Scanning the horizon: development and implementation of an early awareness system for anticancer drugs in Austria

Due to increasing expenditures for cancer therapies, an instrument was needed in Austria to facilitate the evidence-based use of new anticancer drugs and to pre-estimate their financial implications.

To describe and analyse the development and implementation of a Horizon Scanning System (HSS) in Austria that allows for the evaluation of new anticancer drugs before their routine introduction into clinical practice in order to inform decision-makers.

Common stages involved in HSSs were identified by a literature review and in cooperation with experts. A first concept for an HSS in Oncology was developed and piloted, and further adjustments were made after several feedback rounds with experts in oncology.

To specifically tailor the five common stages of HSSs to the needs of our HSS, a continually evolving process was required. Now, 21 information sources are regularly scanned, the information is retrieved and extracted in a standardised format, and only anticancer drugs in phase III are included and prioritised by a team of eight experts. Since the HSS in Oncology was implemented as a standard practice, 19 assessments on novel cancer therapies with likely therapeutic and/or financial impacts have been published.

The successful implementation of an HSS necessitates a repetitive cycle of adjustments in order to meet the objectives set by the individual HSS.