On Medical Treatments & Products | Page 2 of 45 | National Center for Health Research

NCHR Comments on USPSTF Draft Recommendations on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

July 12, 2019. We support the USPSTF draft recommendation related to screening for AAA in asymptomatic adults 50 years and older. The differences in prevalence, risks of surgery, likelihood of benefit, and amount of available evidence support the need for different recommendations based on gender/biological sex and smoking history.

NCHR Testimony on Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons and Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents

June 20, 2019. We agree with the FDA and the Panel that the increased risk for death for patients treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons or –eluting stents, as shown in the meta-analysis of randomized pivotal trials, is very concerning. Any potential increase risk for death is important for health care professionals and patients to know about, so that they can make appropriate decisions about whether to use a product.

NCHR Testimony on Pretomanid for Tuberculosis

June 7, 2019. While new treatments are needed, it is impossible to accurately determine the risks or benefits of a new TB treatment without a randomized trial or a matched control group within the same trial. As clinicians and patients, you deserve to know the benefits and risks before deciding which treatments to use. This information is needed before approval, not years later.

NCRH Testimony on Reclassification of Collagen-Based Hemostatic Devices

May 31, 2019. The safety and effectiveness of new devices needs to be established before they are approved. Approval of products without this evidence puts patients at risk for unnecessary harm. Adequate and well-controlled clinical trials are the best way to establish that the benefits outweigh the risks for patients needing collagen-based hemostatic devices.

NCHR Comments on FDA’s Reclassification of Surgical Staplers

May 30, 2019. Thousands of adverse events associated with surgical staplers had been hidden from patients and physicians prior to the March 2019 Kaiser Health News expose. Such devices must be better regulated and monitored.