NICE provides first scientific advice on patient preference

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said on Thursday that it provided its first scientific advice to Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) on the design of a patient preference study for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Preference studies aim to better capture the actual trade-offs patients are willing to make between benefits and risks in a specific disease setting and have become increasingly important in making regulatory decisions (see "Prioritizing Preferences" & "Making Patients Partners")...