A Methodological Proposal for Health Technology Assessments: A Case Study on Biosimilar Drugs.

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Pharmaceutical Policy
• Health Technology Assessment

Background:

• Health technology assessments (HTAs) are crucial for informed healthcare decisions.
• Accurate prediction of pharmaceutical costs is essential for budget planning.
• Evaluating the economic impact of biological drugs requires robust analytical tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel methodological approach for multidisciplinary health technology assessments.
• To develop a system for predicting the initial price and actual cost of biological drugs.
• To create a tool for ranking regional negotiating capabilities in healthcare procurement.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mathematical models based on real-world data for cost prediction.
• Formulated degree coefficients by comparing real data with model-derived data.
• Applied the methodology to three classes of biological drugs for analysis.

Main Results:

• The approach provides accurate predictions for initial drug prices and actual costs.
• Degree coefficients effectively ranked the negotiating capabilities of Italian regions.
• The method demonstrated adaptability to various data types for HTA.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method supports healthcare decision-makers in planning and reducing pharmaceutical expenditure.
• This approach aids in evaluating medical technologies and rationalizing resource use.
• It serves as a valuable tool for minimizing waste and optimizing healthcare resource allocation within HTAs.