Technology Assessment Reports (TARs)
Technology Assessment Reports are detailed analyses of new pharmaceuticals. They are used to determine the cost-effectiveness of pharmaceuticals that we are being asked to fund.
We don't publish most of our Technology Assessment Reports because of commercial sensitivity. You can download our published reports on this page.
Published PHARMAC TARs
Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
- TAR 75a,b Trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER-2 positive early breast cancer with 9 week regimen CUA (66 pages, 566 KB).
- Appendix 1 (8 pages, 164 KB).
- Appendix 2 (2 pages, 124 KB).
- Appendix 3 (1 page, 61 KB).
- Appendix 4 (3 pages, 63 KB).
- Appendix 5 (8 pages, 177 KB).
- Appendix 6 (14 pages, 511 KB).
- TAR 75c Tastuzumab further sensitivity analysis (34 pages, 401 KB).
- Appendix 7 to TAR 75c (13 pages, 259 KB).
- Appendix 8 to TAR 75c (33 pages, 372 KB).
- Appendix 9 to TAR 75c (1 page, 64 KB).
For more information about PHARMAC's assessments of trastuzumab, click here.
Other TARs
Dabigatran (49 pages, 2598 KB) for the prevention of stroke, systemic embolism and reduction of vascular mortality in patient with atrial fibrilation.
Celecoxib (Celebrex) and rofecoxib (Vioxx) for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (20 pages, 338 KB).
Combined long-acting beta agonist/inhaled corticosteroid devices for asthma (18 pages, 75 KB) (referred to in letter to Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (Metcalfe, Moodie 2003)).
Updated statin cost utility analysis (11 pages, 119 KB).
- 1997 statin cost utility analysis - methods and assumptions (59 pages, 630 KB).
- 1997 statin cost utility analysis - summary of results (10 pages, 244 KB).
- 1997 statins for familial hyperlipidaemia (15 pages, 237 KB).
- Celebrex's relative GI safety is overstated? (9 pages, 1176 KB) A critique and reworking of an industry-sponsored meta-analysis of COX-2 inhibitors (Deeks et al 2002) (sent as a letter to the British Medical Journal, October 2002).
- Supporting data for "Celebrex's relative GI safety is overstated?" (zipped Excel spreadsheet file).
- Further commentary,
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Page updated on 19 Jan 2012
Linked documents
Technology Assessment Report No. 75, with supplementary analysis 75b (66 pages, 566 KB)
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER-2 positive early stage primary breast cancer Part 1: 12-month sequential trastuzumab treatment (“Trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER-2 positive early breast cancer ”), August 2006 Part 2: 9 week…
Appendix One: Relevant minutes of clinical advisory committees meetings since mid 2006 (8 pages, 164 KB)
PTAC further considered trastuzumab in August 2006, and then the cancer treatments subcommittee of PTAC (CaTSoP) considered the FinHer study in November 2006. Subsequently PTAC have discussed this…
Appendix Two: Rapid update of TAR 75 for HERA 23 month follow-up information (2 pages, 124 KB)
Updated Clinical Information – 12 months trastuzumab sequential regimen The cost-utility analysis for 12 months sequential trastuzumab treatment has not been updated to include the new evidence…
Appendix Three: Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Clinical Trial Summaries (1 page, 61 KB)
Sequential treatment trials, long duration (12 month)1 regimens HERA Trial N9831 (Arm B) Patient Numbers Observation: 1,693 Trastuzumab (1 yr): 1,694 1 Trastuzumab (2 yr): 1,694 1 loading dose (8mg/kg) trastuzumab, then 6mg/kg…
Comparison of eligible patient pool and treatment regimen 12 months sequential treatment (3 pages, 63 KB)
Eligible patient population 9 weeks concurrent treatment Eligible patients were those presenting with HER-2 positive early breast cancer, with acceptable heart function (assumes some patients excluded from treatment…
Appendix Five: Summary and interpretation of the Clinical information (8 pages, 177 KB)
Appendix Five Clinical information for trastuzumab – summary, interpretation and policy implications District health boards (DHBs) and PHARMAC decided in July not to fund trastuzumab, as adjuvant treatment of early HER2-positive breast cancer as a 12-month regimen, at that time,…
Appendix Six: Clinical data (14 pages, 511 KB)
1. Efficacy of sequential and concurrent treatments Key to graphic: Ö statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) ´ no statistically significant improvement in DFS ? results awaited 2. Treatment regimens and available trial data To…
Further Supplementary Technology Assessment Report No. 75c (34 pages, 401 KB)
PART 3 Further Supplementary Technology Assessment Report No. 75c 12 month trastuzumab (Herceptin) treatment in HER-2 positive early breast cancer, compared with 9 week concurrent treatment (supplement to TAR 75 of August 2006 and its supplementary TAR 75b of April…
Appendix Seven: Relevant minutes of clinical advisory committees meetings since February 2007 (13 pages, 259 KB)
Appendix Seven: Relevant minutes of clinical advisory committees meetings since February 2007 Appendix One to TAR75b included the relevant minutes of the clinical advisory committees to February 2007. The Cancer Treatments Subcommittee of PTAC (CaTSoP) considered the trasuzumab for HER2…
Appendix Eight: detail of updates to clinical inputs for cost utility analysis (33 pages, 372 KB)
APPENDIX EIGHT DETAIL OF UPDATES TO CLINICAL INPUTS FOR COST UTILITY ANALYSIS Revised and updated clinical issues relevant to further cost utility analysis (CUA) for 12 months adjuvant trastuzumab (sequential and concurrent regimens) are as follows: 1. Disease progression of…
Appendix Nine: Updated* trastuzumab (Herceptin) clinical trial summaries** (1 page, 64 KB)
Appendix Nine: Updated* trastuzumab (Herceptin) clinical trial summaries** Sequential treatment trials, long duration (12 month)1 regimens HERA N9831 Arm B PACS043 Patient Numbers Observation: 1,693 Trastuzumab (1 yr): 1,694 1 Trastuzumab (2 yr): 1,694 Observation: 979 Trastuzumab: 985 Observation: 268…
Hospital Pharmaceutical Assessment Final Summary Discussion Document No 6 (20 pages, 338 KB)
Celecoxib (Celebrex) and rofecoxib (Vioxx) - selective COX-2 inhibitors - for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Effectiveness of combined ICS/LABAs (18 pages, 75 KB)
Effectiveness of combined ICS/LABAs delivery devices versus concurrent ICS and LABA via separate inhalers.
Statins Cost Utility Analysis (11 pages, 119 KB)
Updated cost utility analysis for statins Scott Metcalfe Pharmac 30 January 2001 Pharmac estimates the cost-utility of providing statins to everyone with dyslipidaemia and > 10% 5-year absolute risk of cardiovascular events, at a proposed price of $0.45/day, is $1,630/QALY…
1997 Statin Cost Utility Analysis (Technology Assessment Report No. 1) (59 pages, 630 KB)
This paper describes a model which PHARMAC has developed to assess the costs and benefits of extending subsidy criteria for lipid-modifying agents (LMAs). The model assesses both need for and cost-effectiveness/benefits of these agents. Impact is in terms of costs and benefits, from two perspectives: 1. a financial perspective (costs and savings for pharmaceuticals), and 2. a health economic perspective (pharmaceuticals, plus other impact on health sector costs, mortality and quality of life).
Summary – Cost utility analysis of the lipid modifying agents (10 pages, 244 KB)
1997 Summary – cost utility analysis of the lipid modifying agents. The benefits of LMAs can be measured in quality-adjusted life years saved (QALYS), which combine fatal with non-fatal events.
1997 Statins for Familial Hyperlipidaemia (Technology Assessment Report No. 2) (15 pages, 237 KB)
This paper examines the incremental benefits and costs of treating patients with familial hyperlipidaemia with simvastatin 40mg/day, over and above the net costs and benefits of treatment with fluvastatin 80mg/day. The analysis assumes that for familial hyperlipidaemia that benefit is proportional to the degree of LDL-cholesterol lowering, given the lack of evidence for this condition.
Letter to British Medical Journal: Is Celebrex's relative GI safety overstated? (9 pages, 1176 KB)
Is Celebrex’s relative GI safety is overstated? The editorial by Roger Jones makes important points about the limitations of the meta-analysis by Jon Deeks and colleagues2 for celecoxib. However, we also note that the Deeks meta -analysis does not account for the 12-15-month data for the CLASS study compiled by the FDA3 4 and cited by Peter Juni and colleagues’ critical editorial.
