BEACON: A Summary Framework to Overcome Potential Reimbursement Hurdles.

Objective: To provide a framework for addressing payers' criteria during the development of pharmaceuticals.

Methods: A conceptual framework was presented to an international health economic expert panel for discussion. A structured literature search (from 2010 to May 2015), using the following databases in Ovid: Medline(®) and Medline(®) In-Process (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), EconLit (EBSCOhost) and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), and a 'grey literature' search, were conducted to identify existing criteria from the payer perspective.

The Suitability of End Point Designs for Health Technology Assessment in Chronic Pain Studies.

Objectives: To identify the pain instruments and study end points most commonly used in clinical trial settings and to provide insight into the extent to which outcome measures in clinical studies are meeting payer needs.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify published clinical studies and ongoing/recently completed registered trials in chronic pain. Inclusion criteria were interventional study, chronic pain in adults, and pain measured within the primary end point.

Relation of the first hypertension-associated event with medication, compliance and persistence in naïve hypertensive patients after initiating monotherapy.

Objective: To analyze the relation of medication, compliance and persistence with the risk of the first hypertension associated event in naïve hypertensive patients after initiating monotherapy with any of the first-line antihypertensive drug classes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study in the IMS Disease Analyzer database was performed. The study cohort comprised all previously untreated hypertensive patients who were free from hypertension-associated comorbidities, in whom new monotherapy with angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), ACE-inhibitors (ACEIs), beta-blockers (BBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs) or diuretics was initiated.

The value of irbesartan in the management of hypertension.

Elevated blood pressure levels are highly prevalent and are a major reason for cardiovascular events and thus place a significant financial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Guidelines recommend five first-line anti-hypertensive drug classes, but compelling indications may indicate favoring one drug class over another. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have demonstrated a blood pressure lowering efficacy which is at least comparable with other drug classes, including ACE inhibitors (ACE-I), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics.