The HEcoPerMed project (Healthcare and pharma economics in support of the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine – ICPerMed) is a cooperation and support action (CSA) funded by the European Commission (EC). It is part of the so-called ICPerMed “family” of projects and initiatives that supports the research and implementation of personalised medicine in Europe and beyond. HEcoPerMed responds to the demand for economic models that evaluate treatments made possible through innovations in personalised medicine (PM) and seeks to identify funding and reimbursement mechanisms that provide financial incentives for the rapid development and uptake of such innovations. PM aims to optimally match patient and treatment by assessing the characteristics of patients in which treatments yield (the most) results. HEcoPerMed explores the next generation of assessment and payment models, to support comprehensive cost-effectiveness estimates of PM as well as the sustainable affordability of health innovations.
HEcoPerMed provides a concise overview of and guidance on high-quality methodological approaches for model-based economic evaluations of PM. In three case studies, HEcoPerMed demonstrates practical and methodological issues in economic evaluation of personalised medicine and suggests possible solutions, therewith advancing the economic modelling of PM. Findings and lessons learned from HEcoPerMed are directed at a broad audience including industry, reimbursement authorities, health economic researchers and policy-makers at European, national, and regional level, with the aim of supporting their decision-making on the development and implementation of value-based PM approaches.
HEcoPerMed results indicate that there seems to be a large and probably underused potential to improve health and reduce costs by improving the targeting of existing therapies. Better stratification would increase the cost-effectiveness of current treatments and, therefore, the efficiency levels of the entire healthcare system. Also, where possible economic evaluations of PM should be conducted earlier and be shared among EU Member States to improve timely access to clinically and cost-effective new PM interventions. Furthermore, evidence requirements of European regulatory and reimbursement authorities should be better aligned.
