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Telemonitoring for heart failure (HF) captures patient data such as body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate via mobile applications to complement nurse-led disease management programmes (DMPs). In Austria, DMPs for HF patients are already in use, with telemonitoring implemented differently across regions. The aim was to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of non-invasive telemonitoring in addition to DMPs compared to DMPs without telemonitoring in HF patients post-hospital discharge, and to develop an evaluation concept for digital health technologies (DHTs) in Austrian DMPs. A systematic literature search in four databases (1,351 hits) identified three randomised controlled trials (2007–2015) with a total of 527 patients (approximately 189 HF patients in telemonitoring + DMP groups, certainty of evidence: predominantly moderate). Regarding efficacy, one study reported a statistically significant reduction in HF-related rehospitalisation, and another study reported a statistically significant improvement in quality of life (MLWHFQ). All three studies found no significant differences for all-cause mortality and all-cause rehospitalisation. No safety data were reported. For Austrian DHTs in DMPs, an evaluation concept was developed based on the ASSESS-DHT Manual, amongst others, recommending controlled trials (e.g., cluster RCT) with primary endpoints of HF mortality and quality of life. The available evidence has limitations: lack of statistical precision, lack of cost-effectiveness data, and small sample sizes.

Obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel, AUCATZYL^®) is an autologous CAR T cell therapy in which the patient's own T-cells are genetically modified with an anti-CD19 CAR to specifically recognise and attack CD19-positive leukaemia cells. The goal of this treatment is to achieve remission in adult patients aged 26 years and older with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In the multicentre, single-arm, open-label Phase 1b/2 FELIX trial, the efficacy analysis of cohort 2A (n=94, median follow-up: 20.3 months) showed an overall response rate of 77%, including 55% complete remission, a median duration of response of 14.1 months, and an event-free survival of 9.0 months. For all infused patients (n=127, median follow-up: 21.5 months), the median overall survival was 15.6 months. Regarding safety, the most frequent severe adverse events (grade ?3) were febrile neutropenia (12.6%), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (6.3%), and sepsis (5.5%). Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 68.5% of patients, with grade ?3 in 2.4%. After obe-cel infusion, 35% of patients died, with two deaths (1.6%) being treatment-related. The available evidence is limited, as there was no direct comparison with other therapies and quality-of-life data were lacking.

Inappropriate prescriptions, particularly for antibiotics and opioids, contribute significantly to antibiotic resistance, opioid dependence and rising healthcare costs. Despite available guidelines, a discrepancy often exists between evidence-based recommendation and actual prescribing practices. Nudging interventions promise to optimise prescribing decisions without prohibitions or financial incentives. This research project uses a systematic review to investigate which behavioural nudging interventions can optimise doctors' prescribing practices in an evidence-based manner. For this purpose, randomised controlled trials were analysed, and experts were consulted on the feasibility of implementation in the Austrian healthcare sector.

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.