HERCULES
introduction
introduction
HERCULES is a collaborative global project we set up to increase the chances of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy of accessing innovative treatments.
About HERCULES
We set up HERCULES in 2018 to address many of the challenges we found with health technology assessment and reimbursement processes.
We brought the main stakeholders together: patients, clinicians, academics, advisers, the regulators and industry in a non-competitive collaborative environment.
Together we developed tools and evidence to inform decisions about new treatments for Duchenne and support their case for reimbursement.
What we've achieved so far
Since it was set up, HERCULES has developed and produced:
- A new natural history model for Duchenne that identifies a new stage, the Transfer Stage, and new mortality data analyses.
- DMD-QoL, a new bespoke Quality of Life measure for Duchenne, along with 38 translations/linguistic validations to ensure it can be widely used in clinical trials and practice.
- A review of the burden of side effects from long-term corticosteroid treatment.
- Analysis of patient data from routine NHS data including the Clinical Practice Research Datalink to inform the natural history and burden of illness workstreams.
- A systematic review of Quality-of-Life measures for Duchenne carers and families.
- A core economic model, adaptable by individual companies, to support health technology assessment and reimbursement decisions.
