Indacaterol/Glycopyrronium versus Salmeterol/Fluticasone in Patients with COPD-A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in the Czech Republic
Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents an illness with significant healthcare and societal impacts. Fixed combinations of long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroids have been used for COPD treatment as the standard of care for many years.
A daily dose of indacaterol and glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) at 110/50 mu g has recently been gaining attention due to its improved efficacy and tolerability versus the standard of care. The study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of once daily IND/GLY vs. twice daily salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SFC) at 50/500 mu g in COPD patients.
Methods: A microsimulation model in MS Excel was adapted to the Czech setting. Effectiveness data and disease severity stages were obtained from the FLAME study, which is a head-to head trial comparing IND/GLY vs.
SFC. Quality of life data were derived from a literature review.
Costs (medication, monitoring and complications) were taken from published Czech sources. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained.
Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3 %. A lifetime horizon was used for the analysis.
Cost-effectiveness was studied from the perspective of a health care system in the Czech Republic. Results: Mean QALYs were higher in the IND/GLY arm (difference 0.167 QALYs).
The ICER of IND/GLY compared with SFC was EUR 13,628 per QALY gained. Deterministic sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed the base-case result to be robust.
Conclusions: From the perspective of the Czech health care system, managing COPD using IND/GLY is cost-effective in this analysis because the base-case is clearly below the willingness-to-pay threshold in the Czech Republic, which is automatically set at 3 times GDP/capita (approximately EUR 44,000/ QALY). This is the first available economic analysis utilizing FLAME study results in the Central East European (CEE) countries showing IND/ GLY as a highly cost-effective investment into COPD patients.