Office of Health Economics

What Office of Health Economics does

The Office of Health Economics (OHE), founded in 1965 and headquartered in London, is the world's oldest independent health economics research organisation and operates as a UK-registered charity and government-recognised Independent Research Organisation structured as a company limited by guarantee. OHE conducts commissioned and grant-funded research in health technology assessment (HTA), economic evaluation, patient preference measurement, and health policy analysis, with documented expertise in discrete choice experiments (DCE), best-worst scaling (BWS), and time trade-off (TTO) methodologies. The organisation's portfolio of knowledge products includes 393+ publications on HTA, 341+ on Health Care Systems, and 155+ on EQ-5D and PROMs, alongside the OHE Academy education platform, the 'A Dose of Economics' podcast, an annual lecture series, and a biennial Innovation Policy Prize.

OHE generates revenue primarily through three streams: (1) contract research commissioned by pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, MSD, Eli Lilly, GSK, bioMérieux, and Moderna; (2) grant-funded research from bodies including the EuroQol Research Foundation and joint Eli Lilly/GSK Change Initiative; and (3) educational programs via the OHE Academy. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and partnership-driven, targeting pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, healthcare policymakers and HTA agencies (notably NICE and NHS England), academic institutions, and patient advocacy organisations such as the Acute Leukemia Advocates Network. Research outputs are disseminated freely through OHE's website, podcast, social channels, conferences, and ISPOR contributions, while the Pfizer-funded Respiratory Cost Calculator represents the organisation's first branded analytical tool product.

Name

Office of Health Economics

Legal name

Office of Health Economics

Website

https://ohe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Office of Health Economics is the world's oldest independent health economics research organisation (founded 1965), conducting commissioned and grant-funded research on health technology assessment, economic evaluation, and patient preferences for pharmaceutical companies, governments, and academic institutions globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Economics Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Evaluation & Health Technology Assessment (Public Programs) (HLAJANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) & Reimbursement Policy Bodies (HLAJACAF)

Keywords

• Health economics research
• Health technology assessment
• Economic evaluation services
• Patient preference studies
• HTA consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Contract Research: OHE conducts commissioned research funded by pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations. Examples include research funded by Pfizer (inflation impact on HTA), MSD (ASCVD burden study), bioMérieux (fast diagnostics value), and others.
2. Grant-Funded Research: OHE receives grant funding for specific research initiatives, such as the Change Initiative funded by Eli Lilly and GSK for prevention research, and EuroQol Research Foundation grants for EQ-5D bolt-on research.
3. Educational Programs: OHE Academy provides educational programs, resource library access, and graduate school offerings in health economics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OHE conducts independent health economics research and analysis, including commissioned contract research, grant-funded studies, and health technology assessment (HTA) consulting for pharmaceutical companies, governments, and research organizations. The organization delivers quantitative economic evaluation, patient preference studies, policy analysis, and educational programs through OHE Academy, while producing thought-leadership publications, podcasts, and analytical tools.

Product overview

The Office of Health Economics (OHE) is the world's oldest independent health economics research organization offering a portfolio of knowledge products and services rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include original research publications, educational programs through OHE Academy, the 'A Dose of Economics' podcast series, and event programs including the biennial Innovation Policy Prize and Annual Lecture. OHE also provides analytical tools such as the Respiratory Cost Calculator. Research outputs cover Health Technology Assessment (HTA), drug development, prevention economics, patient-reported outcomes (EQ-5D/PROMs), health care systems, value-based pricing, and antimicrobial resistance. The organization serves as a thought leader providing analysis for healthcare decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commissioned Health Economics Research Independent, commissioned health economics research and analysis conducted for pharmaceutical companies, governments, and healthcare organizations. Covers health technology assessment, economic evaluation, patient preference studies, market access strategy, value-based pricing analysis, and policy research. Outputs include reports, whitepapers, and peer-reviewed publications.
• OHE Academy An educational platform offering programs, resource library access, and graduate school services designed to support, sustain, and enhance the discipline of health economics. Includes short courses, masterclasses, and professional development for students and health economics professionals ranging from novices to experts.
• Respiratory Cost Calculator An interactive analytical calculator that estimates respiratory-related healthcare costs. Built and hosted by OHE and commissioned by Pfizer, providing users with a tool to model cost impacts of respiratory conditions and interventions.

Quantifiable outcome

• ASCVD costs the world $680 billion annually in healthcare, representing roughly Sweden's GDP
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MSDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSD commissioned and funded OHE research on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) global burden. Study found ASCVD costs $680 billion annually in healthcare. Research also provides country-level insights across US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPfizer has commissioned multiple OHE research projects including: inflation impact on HTA incremental costs, COVID-19 vaccination cost modeling (£7 billion annual UK cost without autumn vaccinations), and cell and gene therapy economic evaluation. Multiple ongoing collaborations.
• bioMérieuxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research report on 'The value of fast diagnostics in time-critical infections' commissioned and funded by bioMérieux. Multi-country economic evaluation covering Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and US.
• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research with CGT Catapult developing new methods to quantify economic impact of healthcare innovations. Report found widespread adoption of cell and gene therapies may unlock billions for the UK economy.
• EuroQol Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHE leads research with University of Technology Sydney on developing EQ-5D bolt-on descriptors for hearing, funded by EuroQol Research Foundation. Contributes to EuroQol meetings and research initiatives.
• Acute Leukemia Advocates Network (ALAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of first-of-its-kind qualitative study of informal carers across 6 countries, examining the multidimensional burden of caring for leukemia patients.
• ModernaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHE modeled scenario without annual COVID-19 autumn vaccinations, estimating £7 billion annual UK costs without vaccinations.
• NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHE's research informs NICE HTA processes. Lotte Steuten is Associate Editor at Value in Health (ISPOR journal). Ongoing collaboration on HTA methodology development.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHE participates in WHO panels and discussions, including WHA79 panel on LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Co-organised panel discussions at World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Largest life sciences data and consulting firm offering HTA, real-world evidence, and health economics as part of a broader services portfolio. Competes with OHE on pharma commissioning work but at much greater scale.
• RAND Corporation — Health Care Division: Large independent research institution with a health care division conducting health policy, health economics, and health systems research. Comparable in mission independence and policy influence to OHE.

Direct peers

• PHMR Limited: Boutique health economics and market access consultancy focused on HTA submissions and pricing for pharma. Smaller-scale peer competing for similar pharmaceutical commissioning work.
• Evidera (PPD/ICON): Health economics, outcomes research, and market access consultancy serving pharma and biotech. Direct competitor on HTA submissions, value demonstration, and economic modelling engagements.
• Analysis Group: Major economic and financial consulting firm with significant health economics and outcomes research practice serving pharma clients. Competes for HTA, real-world evidence, and economic evaluation commissions.
• Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER): US-based independent HTA organisation producing value-based price benchmarks and clinical/economic evidence reports. Competes with OHE on independent HTA methodology for pharmaceutical pricing and access decisions.
• Putnam Associates: Specialised pharma strategy consultancy with health economics and market access expertise. Comparable in service offerings (HTA, pricing, value demonstration) to OHE's commissioned research practice.
• Charles River Associates (CRA) — Life Sciences Practice: Economic consultancy with a major health economics practice conducting HTA, pricing, and market access work for pharma. Comparable consulting model delivering commissioned research to similar pharma clients.
• RTI Health Solutions: Contract health economics and outcomes research organisation serving pharma and HTA agencies with similar methodological capabilities (HTA, economic modelling, patient preference studies). Comparable in mission and customer base to OHE.

Others

• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): UK HTA agency that OHE's research directly informs. Not a competitor but a closely related ecosystem participant — its methodology choices drive OHE's product roadmap and vice versa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OHENews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OHENews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-health-economics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Office of Health Economics