The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) () is a German agency responsible for assessing the quality and efficiency of medical treatments, including drugs, non-drug interventions (e.g.

surgical procedure Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

s), diagnostic and screening methods, and treatment and disease management. IQWiG also supplies health information to patients and the general public. The organization is independent of the pharmaceutical industry, contracted solely by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Joint Federal Committee.

Statuory basis

IQWiG operates on a legal basis laid down in §139a and §139b of the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V) that summarises almost all provisions on statutory health insurance in Germany.

History

IQWiG was founded in 2004 under the directorship of Dr Peter Sawicki, who was replaced in September 2010 by Dr Jürgen Windeler. Windeler retired from the position in 2023, succeeded in the post by Dr Thomas Kaiser. Its deputy director is Dr Stefan Lange.

Structure

The governing body of the Institute is the Foundation for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. Its purpose is to promote science and research. The bodies of the foundation are the Foundation Council and the Board of Directors. The Board of Trustees and the Scientific Advisory Board act in an advisory capacity to the Institute. IQWiG is divided into the following departments, which publish reports: * Drug Assessment * Non-Drug Interventions * Medical Biometry * Health Care and Health Economics Additionally, the Health Information Department produces evidence-based health information in plain language that is published on the website informedhealth.org, in German and in English. These five departments are supported by the Administration and Information Management departments as well as Communications, International Affairs, Quality Assurance and Legal units.

International Cooperation

IQWiG regularly communicates with similar organisations in other countries, such as with the

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. As the national health technology assessment body of England, it is responsible for j ...

(NICE) in the UK and the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) in France. It is a member of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) and takes part in the European Network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA).

Most noticed reports

IQWiG hit international headlines in October 2010 with a report slamming

Reboxetine Reboxetine, sold under the brand name Edronax among others, is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (sNRI) medication marketed as an antidepressant by Pfizer for use in the treatment of major depressive disorder, although it has also be ...

as inefficient and harmful. Similarly, in September 2010, another study rebuffed the use of Venlafaxine and

Duloxetine Duloxetine, sold under the brand name Cymbalta among others, is a medication used to treat major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, central sensitization, and ...

as first-line treatment in major depression, but recommend them as a second line option. The use of

Memantine Memantine, sold under the brand name Namenda among others, is a medication used to slow the progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include headache, constipation, sleepiness, and dizz ...

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

patients was deemed as insufficiently supported by scientific evidence. This led

Merz Pharma Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA (also ''Merz Pharma KGaA'' or ''Merz'') is an internationally active family-owned company, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Merz is the parent company of independent businesses in the fields of aesthetic me ...

to provide additional data, and the Institute to change its evaluation. A report in 2010 indicated that long-acting insulin analogues showed no benefits over

intermediate-acting insulin As a medication, insulin is any pharmaceutical preparation of the protein hormone insulin that is used to treat high blood glucose. Such conditions include type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and complications of diabetes ...

for the treatment of type I diabetes.Long-acting insulin analogues in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 1
IQWiG Public release date: 19-Apr-2010

References

{{Authority control 2004 establishments in Germany Health care quality Health sciences organisations based in Germany German federal agencies National agencies for drug regulation Regulators of biotechnology products Government agencies established in 2004 Medical and health organisations based in North Rhine-Westphalia Organisations based in Cologne Regulation in Germany