Cost-effectiveness analysis is a mandatory strategy for health systems: evidence from a study involving therapies for hepatitis C.

Cost-effectiveness analysis is a mandatory strategy for health systems: evidence from a study involving therapies for hepatitis C. Cad Saude Publica. 2020;36(2):e00036619 Authors: Rodrigues JPV, Cazarim MS, Chachá SGF, Martinelli ALC, Pereira LRL Abstract Cost-effectiveness analysis is essential in health decision making. Several countries use it as synthesis of evidence to incorporate health technologies. The protease inhibitors (PI) boceprevir (BOC) and telaprevir (TVR) are indicated for chronic hepatitis C treatment and were incorporated in guidelines worldwide. Pre-marketing clinical trials showed higher sustained virological response rates in relation to previous therapies, but the incorporation of PIs generated a significant financial impact. The aim of this study was to discuss the relevance of cost-effectiveness analysis through a study that involved the inclusion of PIs in a clinical protocol. The analysis was part of a real-life study that included patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 treated in a tertiary university hospital in Brazil. Triple therapies (TT) with ribavirin (RBV), peginterferon α-2a (Peg-INF α-2a) and BOC or TVR were compared to dual therapy with RBV and Peg-INF α-2a. Sensitivity analysis of the cost-effectiveness ratio indicated an 88.2% chance of TTs presenting a higher cost per cure. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) exceeded the Brazilian gross domestic product (GDP) per...
Source: Cadernos de Saude Publica - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Cad Saude Publica Source Type: research