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Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Omalizumab for the Treatment of Severe Persistent Asthma in Real Clinical Practice in Spain

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Abstract

Background and Objective

Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets circulating immunoglobulin E molecules to treat severe uncontrolled asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the cost effectiveness of omalizumab compared with standard treatment for the control of severe persistent asthma according to data from patients treated in a specialized asthma unit.

Methods

This was an observational, retrospective, single-center study in the setting of the Pulmonology and Respiratory Allergy Service, Thorax Institute, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Data were collected by review of medical records of 86 uncontrolled severe persistent asthma patients treated with omalizumab from January 2005 to April 2014. Effectiveness was assessed by the reduction in asthma exacerbations and 3-point increases in the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score. The economic evaluation was performed from the societal perspective, including direct health costs (resource use and drug treatments) and indirect costs (disease impact on labor productivity) in 2016 Euros. The time horizon was 12 months before and after the initiation of treatment with omalizumab. Results were expressed using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Results

Taking into account only direct costs, the ICERs were €1487.46 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1241.21–1778.34) per exacerbation avoided and €5425.13 (95 % CI 4539.30–6551.03) per 3-point increase in the ACT. When indirect costs were included, the ICERs were €1130.93 (95 % CI 909.08–1392.86) per exacerbation avoided, and €4124.79 (95 % CI 3281.69–5186.73) per 3-point increase in the ACT.

Conclusions

The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of the addition of omalizumab to standard therapy in patients with uncontrolled severe persistent asthma.

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Author contributions

María del Carmen Vennera, Antonio Valero, Estefany Uria, Carles Forné, and César Picado conceived and designed the study. Estefany Uria and Carles Forné performed the data analysis, obtained the results, and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to the writing and review of the manuscript, and read and accepted the final manuscript. María del Carmen Vennera acts as overall guarantor of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Allergy, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain

    María del Carmen Vennera, Antonio Valero & César Picado

  2. Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

    María del Carmen Vennera, Antonio Valero & César Picado

  3. Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain

    María del Carmen Vennera, Antonio Valero & César Picado

  4. Department of Health Economics and Outcome Research, Oblikue Consulting S.L., Barcelona, Spain

    Estefany Uría & Carles Forné

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  1. María del Carmen Vennera
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Correspondence to María del Carmen Vennera.

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Funding

This study was funded by Novartis International AG.

Conflict of interest

This study was carried out with the financial collaboration of Novartis. Estefany Uria and Carles Forné are employed by Oblikue Consulting, which received financing from Novartis to carry out the study. María del Carmen Vennera, Antonio Valero, and César Picado have received funding for attending meetings, courses and congresses (Novartis). The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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Vennera, M.C., Valero, A., Uría, E. et al. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Omalizumab for the Treatment of Severe Persistent Asthma in Real Clinical Practice in Spain. Clin Drug Investig 36, 567–578 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-016-0402-2

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