Announcements

Fact Sheet No. 198 (November 2025) 
Tislelizumab (Tevimbra®) with platinum-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Fact Sheet No. 199 (November 2025)
Tislelizumab (Tevimbra®) with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of HER-2-negative locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

Fact Sheet No. 202 (November 2025)
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Fact Sheet No. 208 (November 2025)
Blinatumomab (Blincyto®) monotherapy as part of consolidation therapy for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) CD19-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

Fact Sheet No. 225 (November 2025)
Tislelizumab (Tevimbra®) with etoposide and platinum chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer

Fact Sheet No. 233 (November 2025)
Tislelizumab (Tevimbra®) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for the first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Fact Sheet No. 241 (November 2025)
Tislelizumab (Tevimbra®) with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, for the treatment of adult patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

Fact Sheet No. 196 (November 2025) 
Catumaxomab (Korjuny®) for the treatment of malignant ascites

Social prescribing (SP) is a complex intervention that aims to improve care by including regional non-medical services. Realist methodology can help explain how such interventions are supposed to work. The aim of this report was therefor to determine what we can learn about the Austrian SP process based on available realist research. Starting from the Austrian ideal model of SP, findings from realist research were incorporated into a narrative description of each step, highlighting which aspects of SP are already underpinned by theoretical foundations and which require further research.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death and cost the EU around €282 billion annually. This research project uses a systematic review to compare various risk scores (e.g. SCORE2, ARRIBA, PROCAM) for assessing individual cardiovascular risk. Their predictive accuracy, usefulness and feasibility in Austrian preventive medical check-ups were analysed. The results show that long-term health benefits have not yet been proven. National adjustments, training and further validation studies would be necessary for their introduction.

Lifestyle-related diseases account for around 82 percent of all deaths in Austria. The Austrian preventive medical check-up was last updated in 2005, while many lifestyle-related health indicators have worsened. This research project uses an umbrella review to investigate which evidence-based brief interventions on physical activity, healthy nutrition, and reduction of alcohol consumption can be integrated into lifestyle counselling within the preventive medical check-up. Systematic reviews published between 2015 and 2025 were analysed, and Austrian physicians were surveyed regarding implementation feasibility.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common but often underdiagnosed condition associated with increased cardiovascular risk, premature mortality, and reduced quality of life. Early detection may prevent disease progression and complications. This rapid review summarises evidence from systematic reviews and clinical guidelines on the effectiveness and recommendations of CKD screening in different populations and places the findings in the context of the Austrian preventive medical check-up programme.

The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness and safety as primary outcomes and implementation considerations of digital health technologies for self-identification of the risk of perinatal mental ill-ness, with a focus on social, organizational, and legal aspects as secondary outcomes. Six studies and one review were included, covering mobile applications, web platforms, and text-based interventions.

Lifileucel (AMTAGVI^®) is an autologous tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy in which T-cells are isolated from the patient’s tissue, expanded ex vivo, and reinfused. The goal of this treatment is to trigger an antitumor response in patients with previously treated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma. In a single-arm Phase 2 multi-cohort study, the pooled analysis of two cohorts showed a complete response rate of 5%, a partial response rate of 26%, and a stable disease rate of 46%. Additional results include an objective response rate of 31.4%, a median overall survival of 13.9 months, and a progression-free survival of 4.1 months. Regarding safety, all patients experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event, with thrombocytopenia (76.9%), anaemia (50.0%), and febrile neutropenia (41.7%) being the most frequently observed. Six patients died within 30 days after lifileucel infusion. However, the available evidence is limited as the efficacy of lifileucel was not directly compared with other therapies.

After publication of the HTA report, the marketing authorization application was withdrawn from the EMA by the manufacturer in July 2025 – see https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/amtagvi