Can real world data talk to the money?

Over the past couple of years, real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) have emerged as key buzzwords along with big data, and we are set to hear even more of them, according to Richard Barker, director of the Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation. Real-world studies (RWSs) are now becoming more common, but examples of their use and influence on reimbursement decisions or guidelines remain few and far between. Nevertheless, with their ability to demonstrate that a new intervention does work, after randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that it can work, their use is growing, albeit in a fragmented and disconnected manner. These issues, along with other challenges relating to the use of RWD, were discussed at the eyeforpharma Real World Data Europe conference in London on 28–29 April 2014.

Currently, when there is uncertainty around endpoints or the magnitude of effect of a costly new drug, payers have a choice between restricting access or paying over the odds. The...