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.

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.

Dementia care initiative in primary practice: study protocol of a cluster randomized trial on dementia management in a general practice setting.

Background: Current guidelines for dementia care recommend the combination of drug therapy with non-pharmaceutical measures like counselling and social support. However, the scientific evidence concerning non-pharmaceutical interventions for dementia patients and their informal caregivers remains inconclusive. Targets of modern comprehensive dementia care are to enable patients to live at home as long and as independent as possible and to reduce the burden of caregivers.

Irritable bowel syndrome in Germany. A cost of illness study.

Objectives: When asked, between 10% and 15% of people in the Western world report symptoms compatible with irritable bowel syndrome, and around 5% seek medical advice for these complaints. This should incur considerable costs. The present study was designed to give a cost estimate for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome paid for by German statutory health insurance.

Diffusion of innovations: treatment of Alzheimer's disease in Germany.

Systematic barriers seem to slow down the market penetration of innovative acethylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease. The goal of our study was to examine the diffusion of AChE inhibitors into the German market in more detail. On the basis of using the ongoing surveillance panel of the Institute of Medical Statistic (IMS) Health, the prescription patterns of 100 physicians (72 general practitioners, 28 neurologists) were examined.