BioCentury
ARTICLE | Regulation

NICE's diagnostic tests

NICE begins rating diagnostics; unclear QALY model for therapeutics is good fit

September 26, 2011 7:00 AM UTC

NICE's new program for assessing the cost-effectiveness of diagnostics layers the agency's existing analytical model on top of the diagnostic space. It is unclear whether this process is a good fit. It also is unclear whether diagnostics companies will be able to generate sufficient data for some diagnostic settings, or be willing to undertake the cost.

The agency's assessment of the first two molecular diagnostics conducted under the new program are beginning to shape the landscape. The draft recommendation was against the two commercial products and in favor of a technique that can be done in institutional labs, even though the latter approach is comparatively more expensive...