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Drugs in 2020: a brief review

Just nine of the 109 new drugs, combinations, drug strengths, pharmaceutical forms or indictions analysed and rated in our French edition in 2020 constituted a notable therapeutic advance.

Therapeutic advances in 2020 compared with the previous 9 years
       Progrès notable Notable advance Pas de progrès No proven advantages
  Progrès minime Minimal advance Pas de progrès More dangerous than useful
 
Prescrire’s ratings of new products and indications over the past 10 years
 
 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Bravo  BRAVO
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
A Real Advance  A REAL ADVANCE
0 1 0 2 3 1 1 2
 1 2
Offers an advantage  OFFERS AN ADVANTAGE
3 3 6 5 5 5 9 11
 10 6
Possibly helpful  POSSIBLY HELPFUL 
13 14 12 15 15 9 18 22 13 18
Nothing new  NOTHING NEW
53 42 48 35 43 56 45 50 61 55
Judgement reserved  JUDGEMENT RESERVED
7 7 9 10 6 5 4 5
 9 17
Not acceptable  NOT ACCEPTABLE 
16 15 15 19 15 16 15 9
 14 10
TOTAL 92 82 90 87 87 92 92 99 108 109


Every month, Prescrire publishes independent, comparative, systematic reviews of the latest developments in the pharmaceutical market, be they new active substances, new combinations, new dose strengths, new pharmaceutical forms or new indications. We also closely monitor news of drugs' adverse effects, market withdrawals (instigated by pharmaceutical companies or regulatory authorities), shortages, and the regulatory environment for health products, particularly at EU level.

Our aim is to help subscribers distinguish between true advances in health care and new products or uses that are no better than existing treatments or should never have been authorised, due to uncertainty over their harms or benefits or because they are clearly dangerous.

©Prescrire 1 April 2021

Source: "Drugs in 2020: a brief review" Prescrire International 2021; 30 (225): 108-109. Free.

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For more information:

"Prescrire's ratings system:
new drugs and indications,
at a glance"
(March 2018)
Free


See also:

"The Prescrire Drug
Awards for 2020"
(March 2021)
Free

"Drugs in 2019:
a brief review"
(April 2020)
Free


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