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Avatrombopag and lusutrombopag for thrombocytopenia in people with chronic liver disease needing an elective procedure: a systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis
Armstrong N, Büyükkaramikli N, Penton H, Riemsma R, Wetzelaer P, Huertas Carrera V, Swift S, Drachen T, Raatz H, Ryder S, et al
Health technology assessment (Winchester, England). 2020;24(51):1-220
Abstract
BACKGROUND There have been no licensed treatment options in the UK for treating thrombocytopenia in people with chronic liver disease requiring surgery. Established management largely involves platelet transfusion prior to the procedure or as rescue therapy for bleeding due to the procedure. OBJECTIVES To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two thrombopoietin receptor agonists, avatrombopag (Doptelet(®); Dova Pharmaceuticals, Durham, NC, USA) and lusutrombopag (Mulpleta(®); Shionogi Inc., London, UK), in addition to established clinical management compared with established clinical management (no thrombopoietin receptor agonist) in the licensed populations. DESIGN Systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis. SETTING Secondary care. PARTICIPANTS Severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count of < 50,000/µl) in people with chronic liver disease requiring surgery. INTERVENTIONS Lusutrombopag 3 mg and avatrombopag (60 mg if the baseline platelet count is < 40,000/µl and 40 mg if it is 40,000-< 50,000/µl). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Risk of platelet transfusion and rescue therapy or risk of rescue therapy only. REVIEW METHODS Systematic review including meta-analysis. English-language and non-English-language articles were obtained from several databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, all searched from inception to 29 May 2019. ECONOMIC EVALUATION Model-based cost-effectiveness analysis. RESULTS From a comprehensive search retrieving 11,305 records, six studies were included. Analysis showed that avatrombopag and lusutrombopag were superior to no thrombopoietin receptor agonist in avoiding both platelet transfusion and rescue therapy or rescue therapy only, and mostly with a statistically significant difference (i.e. 95% confidence intervals not overlapping the point of no difference). However, only avatrombopag seemed to be superior to no thrombopoietin receptor agonist in reducing the risk of rescue therapy, although far fewer patients in the lusutrombopag trials than in the avatrombopag trials received rescue therapy. When assessing the cost-effectiveness of lusutrombopag and avatrombopag, it was found that, despite the success of these in avoiding platelet transfusions prior to surgery, the additional long-term gain in quality-adjusted life-years was very small. No thrombopoietin receptor agonist was clearly cheaper than both lusutrombopag and avatrombopag, as the cost savings from avoiding platelet transfusions were more than offset by the drug cost. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that, for all thresholds below £100,000, no thrombopoietin receptor agonist had 100% probability of being cost-effective. LIMITATIONS Some of the rescue therapy data for lusutrombopag were not available. There were inconsistencies in the avatrombopag data. From the cost-effectiveness point of view, there were several additional important gaps in the evidence required, including the lack of a price for avatrombopag. CONCLUSIONS Avatrombopag and lusutrombopag were superior to no thrombopoietin receptor agonist in avoiding both platelet transfusion and rescue therapy, but they were not cost-effective given the lack of benefit and increase in cost. FUTURE WORK A head-to-head trial is warranted. STUDY REGISTRATION This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019125311. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 51. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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2.
Modern treatments of haemophilia: review of cost-effectiveness analyses and future directions
Cortesi PA, D'Angiolella LS, Lafranconi A, Micale M, Cesana G, Mantovani LG
Pharmacoeconomics. 2017;36((3):):263-284
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cost is currently one of the most important aspects in haemophilia care. Factor concentrates absorb more than 90% of healthcare direct costs of haemophilia care, and the debate regarding the high cost of haemophilia treatments and their different use across different countries is increasing. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review cost-effectiveness analyses conducted on treatment options in haemophilia, focusing on their results and their strengths and limitations; to highlight the possible issues associated with economic evaluations of new treatment options. METHODS Electronic searches in PubMed and EMBASE were performed to retrieve papers published between November 2015 and September 2017 to update the previous review of economic evaluations of haemophilia treatments by Drummond et al. Reference lists of included articles and reviews were examined for relevant studies, which were assessed for their quality and their empirical results. RESULTS Twenty-six relevant economic analyses were identified; 15 (57.7%) were conducted in patients with haemophilia with inhibitors while 11 (42.3%) involved patients without inhibitors. There were methodological variations among the included studies, and differences in the treatment schemes make a comparative assessment of interventions for patients with haemophilia difficult. Only immune tolerance induction showed consistent results in its cost-saving profile compared with the treatment with bypassing agents. CONCLUSIONS Economic evaluations of haemophilia treatments are increasing, but the identification of general cost-effectiveness trends is still difficult in these studies. We are now facing a new era in haemophilia management with a soaring need for high-quality economic evaluations, performed through proactive collaboration between clinical experts, budget holders and health economists.
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3.
Making economic evaluations more helpful for treatment choices in haemophilia
Drummond M, Houwing N, Slothuus U, Giangrande P
Haemophilia : the Official Journal of the World Federation of Hemophilia. 2017;23((2):):e58-e66
Abstract
AIM: Poorly conducted economic evaluations have the potential to mislead both clinicians, leading to inappropriate treatment choices, and payers who must decide on the reimbursement of treatment costs. This paper reviews the methods used in economic evaluations in haemophilia and proposes standards for conducting and reporting such evaluations in the future. METHODS A systematic review of economic evaluations in haemophilia published since 2008 was conducted. The reporting and methods of the studies were assessed using the recently published Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Guidelines (CHEERS) checklist. The key methodological deficiencies in the studies were recorded. RESULTS Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, classified as follows: prophylaxis vs. treatment on-demand (five studies); use of bypassing therapy (six); immune tolerance induction (four); and other topics (six). In general, the quality of reporting was good. However, it was poorest for the CHEERS item of patient heterogeneity, with most studies lacking discussion of heterogeneity in the patient population. The main recurring methodological deficiencies were the evaluation of single episodes of care rather than entire treatment strategies; inadequate control for confounders when comparing treatment options; the frequent use of expert opinion to determine drug doses and treatment patterns; lack of consideration of patient heterogeneity; failure to identify patient subgroups; and the inadequate exploration of uncertainty in estimates. CONCLUSIONS A set of 12 standards for future reporting and conduct of economic evaluations within haemophilia is proposed, with the objective of making such evaluations more relevant and reliable for those making treatment and reimbursement decisions in the future.
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Continuous prophylaxis with recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein and conventional recombinant factor IX products: comparisons of efficacy and weekly factor consumption
Iorio A, Krishnan S, Myren KJ, Lethagen S, McCormick N, Yermakov S, Karner P
Journal of Medical Economics. 2016;:1-30
Abstract
BACKGROUND Continuous prophylaxis for patients with hemophilia B requires frequent injections that are burdensome and that may lead to suboptimal adherence and outcomes. Hence, therapies requiring less-frequent injections are needed. In the absence of head-to-head comparisons, we compared the first extended-half-life-recombinant factor IX (rFIX) product- recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) - with conventional rFIX products based on annualized bleed rates (ABRs) and factor consumption reported in studies of continuous prophylaxis. METHODS We compared ABRs and weekly factor consumption rates in clinical studies of continuous prophylaxis treatment with rFIXFc and conventional rFIX products (identified by systematic literature review) in previously-treated adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe hemophilia B. Meta-analysis was used to pool ABRs reported for conventional rFIX products for comparison. Comparisons of weekly factor consumption were based on the mean, reported or estimated from the mean dose per injection. RESULTS Five conventional rFIX studies (injections 1 to >3 times/week) met the criteria for comparison with once-weekly rFIXFc reported by the B-LONG study. The pooled mean ABR for conventional rFIX was slightly higher than but comparable to rFIXFc (difference = 0.71; P = 0.210). Weekly factor consumption was significantly lower with rFIXFc than in conventional rFIX studies (difference in means = 42.8-74.5 IU/kg/week [93-161%], P<0.001). CONCLUSION Comparisons of clinical study results suggest weekly injections with rFIXFc result in similar bleeding rates and significantly lower weekly factor consumption compared with more-frequently-injected conventional rFIX products. The real-world effectiveness of rFIXFc may be higher based on results from a model of the impact of simulated differences in adherence.
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Assessing options for treating haemophilia with inhibitors
Farrugia A, Hermans C, Franchini M
Haemophilia. 2015;21((3)):307-9.
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What is the clinical effectiveness and cost- effectiveness of erythropoietin-stimulating agents for the treatment of patients with cancer-treatment induced anaemia? Insights from cumulative meta-analyses (CMA) and lessons for cost-effectiveness analyses
Huxley N, Haasova M, Crathorne L, Hyde C
Value in Health. 2014;17((7)):A617.
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Cost per responder associated with romiplostim and rituximab treatment for adult primary immune thrombocytopenia in France . French
Chiche L, Perrin A, Stern L, Kutikova L, Cohen-Nizard S, Lefrere F
Transfusion Clinique et Biologique. 2014;21((2):):85-93.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This analysis compared the response rates and cost per responder associated with romiplostim and rituximab in adult immune thrombocytopenia from the French National Health System payer perspective. METHODS A decision analytic model was developed to estimate the cost per patient and per responder of treating adult immune thrombocytopenia patients with romiplostim versus rituximab over 6 months. A systematic literature review identified phase 3 randomized controlled trials. Published response rates were extracted (response definition: >50x10(9) platelets/liter). Resource utilization was based on French and international treatment guidelines, and clinical expert opinion. Unit costs were derived from literature and French reimbursement lists, and included the costs of routine physician visits, treatment administration, and emergency care. Non-responders incurred bleeding-related event costs. RESULTS The literature review identified a phase 3 randomized controlled trial for romiplostim with a response rate of 83%. Due to a lack of phase 3 randomized controlled trials for rituximab, a systematic review of studies was selected as the best source, reporting a response rate of 62.5%. Romiplostim and rituximab were associated with similar treatment costs, with an estimated cost per patient for romiplostim of 17,456 and 17,068 for rituximab. Rituximab resulted in a 30% higher cost per responder (27,308 for rituximab versus 21,031 for romiplostim). Romiplostim use reduced drug administration, intravenous immunoglobulin, and bleeding-related hospitalization costs compared to rituximab. CONCLUSIONS Due to its high efficacy leading to lower bleeding-related costs, romiplostim represents an efficient use of resources for adult immune thrombocytopenia patients in the French healthcare system. Copyright 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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Cost-effectiveness of recombinant activated factor VII vs. plasma-derived activated prothrombin complex concentrate in the treatment of mild-to-moderate bleeding episodes in patients with severe haemophilia A and inhibitors in Spain
Jimenez-Yuste V, Nunez R, Romero JA, Montoro B, Espinos B
Haemophilia. 2013;19((6):):841-6.
Abstract
Several analyses have shown that recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) is a cost-effective intervention compared with plasma-derived activated prothrombin complex concentrate (pd-aPCC) for the on-demand treatment of mild-to-moderate bleeds in haemophilia patients with inhibitors. The aim of the study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of rFVIIa vs. pd-aPCC in the treatment of bleeding episodes in severe haemophilia A patients with inhibitors in Spain. A decision analytic model was designed to evaluate the costs and clinical outcomes of using rFVIIa or pd-aPCC to treat mild-to-moderate joint bleeds in children (<=14 years old) and adults with inhibitors. Data were obtained from a published meta-analysis and a panel of haemophilia experts. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the Spanish National Healthcare System. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of model assumptions on study results. In the Treur meta-analysis, rFVIIa resulted in cumulative joint bleed resolution of 88% and 95% after 24 and 36 h, respectively, compared with 62% and 76%, respectively, with pd-aPCC (Treur et al. Haemophilia 2009; 15: 420-36). Here, the mean cost per bleed was estimated at 8473 and 15 579 in children and adults treated with rFVIIa, vs. 8627 and 15 677 in children and adults treated with pd-aPCC. rFVIIa treatment was found to be the dominating option (cheaper and more effective). The one-way sensitivity analysis also confirmed that rFVIIa was less costly than pd-aPCC. The model suggests that rFVIIa is a cost-effective option compared with pd-aPCC for the treatment of mild-to-moderate bleeding episodes in a Spanish setting. 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Hemoglobin level at initiation of darbepoetin alfa: impact on need for transfusion and associated costs in chemotherapy-induced anemia treatment in Europe
Deger M, Eisterer W, Kutikova L, Salek S
Supportive Care in Cancer. 2013;21((2):):485-93.
Abstract
PURPOSE Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents can reduce red blood cell transfusion rates in patients developing anemia while receiving chemotherapy. We investigated potential cost savings from reduced transfusion rates in patients starting darbepoetin alfa (DA) at higher versus lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels. METHODS Two systematic literature reviews were performed: transfusion outcomes in patients receiving DA stratified by baseline Hb level and costs of transfusion in Europe. Potential cost savings were calculated by multiplying the difference in transfusion rates between Hb levels by the midpoint of transfusion costs. RESULTS Despite differences in baseline characteristics, treatment duration and analysis technique, the clinical studies (n=8) showed that fewer transfusions were required when DA was initiated at higher versus lower Hb levels. The economic studies (n=9) showed that 1unit of transfusion ranged from 130 to 537 (2010-adjusted values). Cost savings from initiating DA at higher versus lower Hb levels were 503-2,226 (2units transfused) and 880-3,895 (3.5units) per ten patients. CONCLUSIONS Transfusion incidence increases with DA initiation at lower Hb levels. Potential cost savings depend on the number of units transfused and cost items included. DA initiation according to guidelines can reduce transfusions and potentially reduce transfusion-associated costs. Journal Article.
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10.
The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of primary stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease: a systematic review and economic evaluation
Cherry MG, Greenhalgh J, Osipenko L, Venkatachalam M, Boland A, Dundar Y, Marsh K, Dickson R, Rees DC
Health Technology Assessment. 2012;16((43):):1-129.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a recessive genetic blood disorder, caused by a mutation in the -globin gene. For children with SCD, the risk of stroke is estimated to be up to 250 times higher than in the general childhood population. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography is a non-invasive technique which measures local blood velocity in the proximal portions of large intracranial arteries. Screening with TCD ultrasonography identifies individuals with high cerebral blood velocity; these children are at the highest risk of stroke. A number of primary stroke prevention strategies are currently used in clinical practice in the UK including blood transfusion, treatment with hydroxycarbamide and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). No reviews have yet assessed the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of primary stroke prevention strategies in children with SCD identified to be at high risk of stroke using TCD ultrasonography. OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of primary stroke prevention treatments for children with SCD who are identified (using TCD ultrasonography) to be at high risk of stroke. DATA SOURCES Electronic databases were searched from inception up to May 2011, including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), EMBASE, the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) database, ISI Web of Science Proceedings, ISI Web of Science Citation Index, the NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and MEDLINE. REVIEW METHODS The assessment was conducted according to accepted procedures for conducting and reporting systematic reviews and economic evaluations. A de novo Markov model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of TCD ultrasonography and blood transfusion, where clinically appropriate, in patients with SCD. RESULTS Two randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria involving a study population of 209 participants. One compared blood transfusion with standard care for children who are identified as being at high risk of stroke using TCD ultrasonography. In this trial, one patient in the transfusion group had a stroke (1/63) compared with 11 children in the standard care group (11/67). The other trial assessed the impact of halting chronic transfusion in patients with SCD. Sixteen patients in the transfusion-halted group had an event (16/41) (two patients experienced stroke and 14 reverted to abnormal TCD velocity); there were no events in the continued-transfusion group (0/38). No meta-analyses of these trials were undertaken. No relevant economic evaluations were identified for inclusion in the review. The de novo modelling suggests that blood transfusions plus TCD scans (compared with just TCD scans) for patients with SCD at high risk of stroke, aged >= 2 years, may be good value for money. The intervention has an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 24,075 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, and helps avoid 68 strokes over the lifetime of a population of 1000 patients. The intervention costs an additional 13,751 per patient and generates 0.6 extra years of life in full health per patient. The data available for the economic analysis are limited. Sensitivity analyses and validation against existing data and expert opinion provide some reassurance that the conclusion of the model is reliable but further research is required to validate these findings. LIMITATIONS The main limitations relate to the availability of published clinical data; no completed randomised controlled trials were identified which evaluated the efficacy of either BMT or hydroxycarbamide for primary stroke prevention. Both the clinical and cost data available for use in the economic analysis are limited. Sensitivity analyses and validation against existing data and expert opinion provide some reassurance that the conclusions of the model are reliable, but further research is required to validate these findings. CONCLUSIONS The use of TC