The Health Technology Assessment Environment in Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan—Implications for the Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Therapies

HTA already has a key role in South Korea and Taiwan, with current systems undergoing important changes. In contrast, in mainland China and Japan, HTA is not yet formally utilized, although this appears likely to change. Several elements are important for HTA to be meaningful and impactful for DM therapies, including a clear, transparent analytical framework for HTA that includes all relevant costs and outcomes; availability of local DM epidemiologic, economic, and quality-of-life data; acceptance of modeling as a core methodology; availability of real-life patient data; and recognition of specific evidence requirements associated with biosimilars. HTA has the potential to assist payors in making informed decisions about the coverage of DM medications.