The article “Addressing the challenges of health economic modelling in the context of suboptimal evidence base - case study based on a comparison between photodynamic diagnosis and narrow band imaging in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer” outlines a novel method developed by health economic experts which enables a valid comparison to be made between two technologies when data gaps exist.
“The method outlined in this paper provides a credible approach to compare technologies like BLC - which has a broad evidence base with long term follow up data, including multiple randomized trials and meta-analyses – to those like NBI where the evidence base is more limited, with shorter follow-up periods and fewer robust studies. The approach outlined in the publication provides a legitimate means to addressing cost effectiveness questions often posed by health authorities, which in this instance showed that BLC is cost effective compared to NBI. In parallel to this analysis, the results of a network meta analysis, undertaken as part of the submission to the Danish authorities, was commensurate with BLC reducing recurrence more effectively than NBI, consistent with meta‑analytic evidence. This aligns with the broader literature showing BLC substantially improves detection of lesions and oncological outcomes, which translate into long‑term cost savings,” said Anders Neijber, Chief Medical Officer for Photocure.The authors developed a new model which extracts and transforms key data points from clinical studies to appropriately determine cost effectiveness. “The challenge with this type of analysis is not simply just to compare two technologies, but to do so responsibly and transparently in the absence of head-to-head data,” said Dr. Jonathan Belsey, lead author. “By using this novel method, we were able to show that BLC is cost effective with an estimated ICER* of DKK 70,707 per QALY** gained - well below the threshold that would normally be considered cost-effective, aligning with outputs obtained using a more traditional method,” he added.
The study highlights that this new method provides a credible alternative to determining comparative cost effectiveness when data is limited, while further supporting the value of BLC as a cost-effective option versus NBI.
Source: Photocure ASA. (2026). New Health Economic Methodology Published: Comparing Cost-Effectiveness of BLC Versus NBI Imaging Technology in Bladder Cancer [Press release]. https://photocure.com/newsletters/news-from-photocure-5355796?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email_campaign&utm_campaign=newsletter.
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Addressing the challenges of health economic modelling in the context of suboptimal evidence base – case study based on a comparison between photodynamic diagnosis and narrow band imaging in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer