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Cost-effectiveness of ranibizumab compared with pegaptanib in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

  • Retinal Disorders
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Abstract

Objective

To assess the cost-effectiveness of ranibizumab compared with pegaptanib in the treatment of patients with minimally classic/occult neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), from a societal perspective in Spain.

Methods

We constructed a Markov model with five states defined by visual acuity (VA) in the better-seeing eye (Snellen scale): VA >20/40, ≤20/40 to >20/80, ≤20/80 to >20/200, ≤20/200 to >20/400, ≤20/400, and an additional death state. Two cohorts of patients were distributed along the VA states, and treated with either ranibizumab or pegaptanib. Transition probabilities assigned for movement between these states with both drugs were obtained from published randomized clinical trials. Medical costs related to AMD treatment and follow-up, medical costs related to AMD comorbidities, and non-medical-related costs were taken into account. Costs (2008 Euro), health outcomes (Quality-adjusted life years—QALYs), both discounted at a 3.5% annual rate, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER: €/QALY), were determined for a lifetime horizon in the base case analysis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore different scenarios and assumptions in the model.

Results

Treating patients with varying degrees of visual impairment with monthly ranibizumab instead of pegaptanib was €71,206 more costly and provided 2.437 additional QALYs (€29,224/QALY). When administered on an as-needed basis, as in the Prospective Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Patients with Neovascular AMD Treated with Intraocular Ranibizumab (PrONTO) trial, the cost per QALY gained with ranibizumab was reduced to €4,623.

Conclusions

The cost per QALY gained with monthly ranibizumab compared with pegaptanib in the minimally classic/occult neovascular AMD population is just below the €30,000 threshold below which new drugs are sometimes regarded as cost-effective strategies in Spain. In this model, the key variables with greater impact on the cost-effectiveness results were the selected time horizon and the chosen extrapolation method, the source for data on pegaptanib efficacy and the number of ranibizumab injections. When administered on an as-needed basis, ranibizumab was a cost-effective strategy compared to pegaptanib in this population.

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Acknowledgement

We are grateful to Donna Leverone, PharmD., for her writing assistance.

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Correspondence to Luis Javier Hernández-Pastor.

Additional information

MEETING PRESENTATION: An abstract of this article was presented at the Spanish Ophthalmology Society Annual Meeting, which took place in Sevilla, Spain, on 24–27 September, 2008.

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Hernández-Pastor, L.J., Ortega, A., García-Layana, A. et al. Cost-effectiveness of ranibizumab compared with pegaptanib in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 248, 467–476 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-009-1156-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-009-1156-9

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