News
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AIHTA is an acadmic non-profit institute. At our website we wish to present our research and give support for health care decision-making. Here all of our reports are available for free. For further information please contact the AIHTA team.
In the News section you will find our most recent publications: newsletter, project-reports etc. Previous reports you might find via Research areas, Research projects and Repository.
Newsletter
Announcement
Bioresorbable stents for the treatment of cardiovascular indications (coronary artery disease)
CAD is a disease defined as the manifestation of arteriosclerosis in the coronary arteries and is the leading cause of death in Europe. This systematic review evaluates the current evidence on the efficacy and safety of bioresorbable stents, the latest generation of stents in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the treatment of CAD, compared to traditional revascularisation strategies (PCI with permanent metal stents or coronary artery bypass graft surgery).
Based on evidence from eight RCTs, the fully bioresorbable everolimus-eluting stent Absorb® BVS is considered to be less effective and to have a worse safety profile compared with everolimus- or biolimus-eluting permanent metal stents. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether Absorb® BVS is considered less effective or less safe than other revascularisation strategies. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether the other four currently CE-certificated fully bioresorbable sent systems [DESolve®, Magmaris (Dreams 2G), Art Pure or Fantom®] are more effective than (or at least as effective as) and/or have better (or at least similar) safety profiles compared with drug-eluting permanent metal stents or other revascularisation strategies.
Publication: Decision Support Document No. 81/1.Update: https://eprints.aihta.at/1191/
Contact: Judit Erdos
Announcement
Natalizumab for the Treatment of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Since 2006, natalizumab is used for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Assessing seven studies, which met the inclusion criteria, the present project report investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of natalizumab compared to alternative immunomodulating drugs for a treatment period of at least 36 months.
Publication: LBI-HTA Project report No. 112: https://eprints.aihta.at/1190/
Contact: Eva Fuchs
Newsletter
Newsletter
Announcement
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients at intermediate surgical risk
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI, also called percutaneous aortic valve replacement) is the insertion of a bioprosthesis into the aortic valve using a catheter. Since the introduction of TAVI in 2007 for patients at high surgical risk, TAVI is being used more and more frequently. The EUnetHTA report with a German summary analyzes the results from 2 RCTs on patients with moderate operative risk.
Publication: LBI-HTA Projektbericht No.115: https://eprints.aihta.at/1188/
Contact: Claudia Wild
Announcement
Wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) therapy in primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest in patients at risk. Updtae 2018
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the most common cause of death in patients with coronary artery disease. In Europe, there are about 350 000 out of hospital SCAs per year. Mostly, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are the underlying aetiology of SCA. The wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) – a novel defibrillation therapy – claims to prevent sudden cardiac deaths that may result from SCA. To date, it is unclear whether the plausible and promising theoretical benefits can be translated into clinically relevant benefits.
Therefore, the project at hand aimed at synthesising the current available evidence regarding the use of the WCD: A systematic review regarding the effectiveness and safety of the WCD was hereby performed.
In total, 11 studies were identified: 1 RCT was eligible for the evidence synthesis of the effectiveness of the WCD and further 10 observational studies were additionally included for the evaluation of safety of the device. The scientific evidence from 1 RCT indicates the WCD in combination with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is not proven to be more effective than GDMT alone based on the endpoint arrhythmic mortality. The studies included in the evaluation of safety of the device suggest that the WCD could be a relatively safe device.
To date, the comparative effectiveness of the WCD could not be established – it is unclear if and especially for whom the plausible theoretical advantages of using the WCD can be translated into clinically relevant benefits. Further research is needed in this context.
Publication: Decision Support Document No. 103/Update 2018: https://eprints.aihta.at/1186
Contact: Gregor Götz
Announcement
Horizon Scanning in Oncology - Reports
We are pleased to introduce our two new HSO reports.
DSD HSO No. 85
Ibrutinib (Imbruvica®) in combination with rituximab for the treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia
DSD HSO No. 84
Enzalutamide (Xtandi®) in patients with nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)
Announcement
Drug reimbursement in the inpatient sector in Austria: Approaches for a transparent and evidence-based process taking into account international experience
On the one hand, reimbursement decisions on medicines in Austria are divided into outpatient and inpatient sector, on the other hand, decisions are made regionally in the inpatient sector (on a federal state level). Both can result in an unequal availability in particular of high-priced drugs. In favour of equal access to medical services, often there are deliberative decision-making processes that seek to make public (health policy) decisions fairly, transparently, and evidence-based. The present HTA report provides a basis for discussion of an Austria-wide standardised and transparent reimbursement process for high-priced hospital drugs taking into account deliberative processes.
Publication: LBI-HTA Projektbericht No. 109: https://eprints.aihta.at/1183/
Contact: Sarah Wolf, Claudia Wild