The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) will be represented at the high-level conference From Theory to Practice: Implementing the EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation, which will take place in Seville on 22 November 2023, where Dr Teresa Amaral will present the ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) as part of a stakeholder panel.
The event is one of seven regional events to be organised by the European Commission during 2023-2024 to discuss the implementation of the European Union’s (EU) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation with actors at stake, with the November event focussing on Spain, Italy, Malta and Portugal. Dr Amaral is active in both the ESMO-MCBS Working Group and the Portuguese Society of Oncology.
HTA concerns the assessment of the added effectiveness, value, expenditure, and broader impact of new medicines, including those for patients with cancer. The HTA Regulation, adopted in 2021 and set to enter into application in January 2025, introduces a new permanent EU framework for collaboration on HTA and joint procedures for assessing new medicines through Joint Clinical Assessments (JCAs) and Joint Scientific Consultations (JSCs).
Given the importance of HTA for access to new cancer medicines, ESMO is committed to supporting the new joint assessment processes, including through the ESMO-MCBS - which is currently being used as part of HTA in many countries. ESMO’s input to the EU conference will highlight how the ESMO-MCBS can help facilitate the new HTA processes and support the prioritisation of cancer medicines for evaluation.
Further information on ESMO’s public policy work on HTA can be accessed here.