- NICE uses quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treatments, combining clinical benefits with the duration of patient benefits.
- A study on NICE's evaluations for rare diseases found that the median time horizon for QALY calculations was 97.5 years, often exceeding expected treatment durations or life expectancies.
- The only treatment with a negative funding decision had a shorter time horizon than the expected treatment duration, raising concerns about the fairness and consistency of NICE's evaluation process.