title: Predictors for reimbursement of oncology drugs in Belgium between 2002 and 2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Price setting and reimbursement decisions regarding drugs are competence of individual member states in Europe. These decisions involve important trade-offs between social, ethical, clinical and economic criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative importance of criteria for reimbursement of oncology drugs in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reimbursement dossiers on oncology drugs for which reimbursement was applied between 2002 and 2013 were consulted. Multivariate logistic regression was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that clinical evidence and presence of alternative treatments have a significant impact on the reimbursement decisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence-based medicine still plays a role in Belgian reimbursement decision-making. In order to allow transition towards value-based medicine and avoid spending money on products with limited incremental benefit, therapeutic need at patient level need to be taken into account.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pauwels
authors.affiliation: a Department Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huys
authors.affiliation: a Department Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katelijne
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Nys
authors.affiliation: a Department Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Minne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casteels
authors.affiliation: a Department Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simoens
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics*; D001530:Belgium; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics*; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Belgium; health economics; health technology assessment; oncology; reimbursement