NICE collaborates with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health to offer parallel scientific advice

7 Feb 2019 12:28 PM

NICE and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health (CADTH) have launched a new collaboration to offer parallel scientific advice to the life sciences industry.

Scientific advice helps companies develop the evidence that can demonstrate the value of a new treatment. It does so by using expert opinion from a range of contributors including clinicians, health economists and patient representatives to provide detailed feedback on companies’ plans to generate clinical and economic evidence.

The two health technology assessment organisations have a lot in common in terms of how they evaluate new treatments and value the opportunity for early engagement with companies targeting the English and Canadian markets. The advice will help companies prepare for future health technology assessments by answering their questions and providing key insight on their clinical and health economic development plans.

Jeanette Kusel, Director of NICE Scientific Advice yesterday said: 

“We recognise the inherent difficulties faced by developers in designing clinical trial programmes that meet the precise requirements of multiple international markets. This new collaboration with CADTH uses the synergies between the English and Canadian systems and provides companies with comprehensive and practical advice from both countries through a single, streamlined process.”

Michelle Mujoomdar, Acting Vice President, Evidence Standards, CADTH yesterday said:

“This exciting new international collaboration between two established HTA bodies will help pharmaceutical companies develop relevant evidence for CADTH and NICE while streamlining the process of obtaining advice in two distinct markets.”

Applications from pharmaceutical companies for parallel scientific advice are now being accepted.