International Experience in Therapeutic Value and Value-Based Pricing: A Rapid Review of the Literature

Value Health Reg Issues. 2020 Dec:23:37-48. doi: 10.1016/j.vhri.2019.11.008. Epub 2020 Jul 17.

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize at a global level the concept of therapeutic value (TV) and describe the experience of value-based pricing (VBP) policies in 6 reference countries.

Methods: We conducted a rapid review of the literature that addressed 2 exploratory research questions. A systematic and exhaustive search was carried out up to July 2018 in MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Results: The concepts of TV and VBP are related; value frameworks for medicines should include social preferences, comparative effectiveness, safety, adoption viability, social impact, high quality of evidence, severity of illness, and innovation. The added therapeutic value (ATV) is the manner of measuring the therapeutic advantages of new medicines compared with existing ones in terms of comparative effectiveness and safety. There are variations in the mechanisms of reimbursement and drug pricing regulation between the countries of study.

Conclusion: In a VBP system it is essential to establish the TV and ATV of a new medicine. Although there are no methodological guidelines for the implementation of VBP policies, the process implies from the beginning the definition of TV categories that will be included in the drug pricing and reimbursement systems. Agreements between the pharmaceutical industry and governments have become a useful tool as a negotiating mechanism in most countries.

Keywords: Drug Evaluation Commission; drug evaluation; drug price; national drug policy; price negotiation; therapeutic value; value-based pricing.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cost Control / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Cost Control / methods
  • Drug Costs / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Drug Costs / trends
  • Humans
  • Internationality*
  • Therapeutic Uses*
  • Value-Based Health Insurance / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

  • Therapeutic Uses