Evaluating the short-term cost-effectiveness of liraglutide versus lixisenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States

Aims: Bringing patients with type 2 diabetes to recommended glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) treatment targets can reduce the risk of developing diabetes-related complications. The aim of the present analysis was to evaluate the short-term cost-effectiveness of once-daily liraglutide 1.8?mg vs once-daily lixisenatide 20?μg as an add-on to metformin for treatment of type 2 diabetes in the US by assessing the cost per patient achieving HbA1c-focused and composite treatment targets.

Materials and methods: Percentages of patients achieving recommended targets were obtained from the LIRA-LIXI trial, which compared the efficacy and safety of once-daily liraglutide 1.8?mg and once-daily lixisenatide 20?μg as an add-on to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes failing to achieve glycemic control with metformin. Annual costs were estimated from a healthcare payer perspective. An economic model was developed to evaluate the annual cost per patient achieving target (cost of control) with liraglutide 1.8?mg vs lixisenatide 20?μg for five end-points.

Results: Annual treatment costs were higher with liraglutide 1.8?mg than lixisenatide 20?μg, but this was offset by greater clinical efficacy, and the cost of control was lower with liraglutide 1.8?mg than lixisenatide 20?μg for all five end-points. The annual cost of control was USD 3,850, USD 11,404, USD 3,807, USD 4,299, and USD 6,901 lower for liraglutide 1.8?mg than lixisenatide 20?μg for targets of HbA1c?Conclusions: Once-daily liraglutide 1.8?mg was associated with greater clinical efficacy than once-daily lixisenatide 20?μg, which resulted in a lower annual cost of control for HbA1c-focused and composite treatment targets.     

管窥二十一世纪的创新政策——美国科技与经济政策理事会《二十一世纪创新政策》述评

美国国家研究委员会科技与经济理事会于2006年举办了一场名为“二十一世纪创新政策”的国际研讨会,邀请来自加拿大、日本、德国、芬兰、中国台湾等国家和地区政府部门的科技计划管理官员和企业的技术专家,介绍和探讨了包括中国、美国、印度在内的部分目标经济体的典型科技／创新计划的制定、组织、管理、资助和评估情况,试图从计划的角度剖析这些目标经济体的创新政策,以供美国借鉴。文章对该研讨会的主要论点进行了介绍,并结合我国实际情况提出了启示和建议。     

农户分化与城镇化:英美实践及启示

从世界范围来看,英美等发达国家都先于我国经历了农户分化与城镇化的完整历程。这一历程可划分为四个阶段,分别是农户分化与城镇化的萌芽阶段、快速推进阶段、稳步推进阶段和相对稳定阶段。不同的发展阶段,英美两国各具特色。英美两国农户分化与城镇化的实践经验值得我国借鉴。     

Composing the top management team in the international subsidiary: Qualitative evidence on international staffing in U.S. MNCs in the Republic of Ireland

International staffing is a central plank of enquiry in MNC research. In this context, much of the research effort has been dedicated to providing an understanding of expatriation from a headquarter perspective and on unearthing explanatory factors and situational issues associated with the expatriation of parent country nationals. Comparatively less is known about the utilisation of host country nationals (HCNs) and third country nationals (TCNs) in staffing key positions in MNC subsidiary operations. Drawing on the results of a qualitative study in the Irish context, the current paper presents a nuanced perspective on the staffing of MNC subsidiaries from a subsidiary perspective. We find that HCN and TCN employees play a key role in managing the U.S.-owned Irish subsidiaries investigated, most of which display a strong centralised control over their Irish subsidiaries. Our findings also point to a pattern of temporal evolution in the staffing policies pursued within the MNCs. Furthermore, our research lends support to the proposition that the use of HCNs and TCNs to staff senior positions in new expansions within the host country is higher where the expansion follows a wave of earlier investment in that location. We explicate our findings in the context of the enfolding literature and highlight the implications of the research for international staffing theory and practice.     

美国海水取水政策及其对我国海水淡化取水的借鉴

针对海水淡化工程大规模发展的海水取水问题,通过总结美国海水取水相关政策措施,结合我国海水淡化工程取水、用海等现状,从加强海水淡化工程取水口用海监管、研究出台针对海水淡化工程用海管理政策、出台有关海水淡化工程取水设施优化的技术导则等方面,提出我国海水淡化工程取水管理建议,为工程安全稳定运行与环境协调发展提供支撑。