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New health economic methodology published: comparing cost-effectiveness of BLC versus NBI imaging technology in bladder cancer
Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), the Bladder Cancer Company, announces the publication in 'The Journal of Medical Economics' of a novel health economics methodology used to develop the cost-utility model which compared blue light cystoscopy (BLC®) and Narrow Band Imaging (NBI), developed for a health technology appraisal by the Danish Treatment Council last year.The results of that analysis demonstrated that BLC is cost-effective versus NBI, when assessed over the remaining lifetime of the patient.
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[{"type":"text","content":"OSLO, Norway, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), the Bladder Cancer Company, announces the publication in 'The Journal of Medical Economics' of a novel health economics methodology used to develop the cost-utility model which compared blue light cystoscopy (BLC®) and Narrow Band Imaging (NBI), developed for a health technology appraisal by the Danish Treatment Council last year. The results of that analysis demonstrated that BLC is cost-effective versus NBI, when assessed over the remaining lifetime of the patient.","length":552,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"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.","length":399,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""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.","length":1038,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"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 ju...