Abstract:

Summary Aim

To estimate the cost-effectiveness over a 4-year duration of lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil for patients with hepatitis B `e' antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B. Methods

A decision analysis model has been used to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil from the perspective of the Spanish Public Health System. Data were obtained from clinical trials. Results

For the base-case, the total estimated cost per patient treated with lamivudine or adefovir dipivoxil for 4 years was €11 457 and €21 939 respectively. Virological response at year 4 for the lamivudine arm was 40.4% and 78.0% for the adefovir dipivoxil arm. The average cost-effectiveness ratio (cost per responding patient at year 4) was €28 375 for the lamivudine arm and €28 132 for the adefovir dipivoxil arm. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of adefovir dipivoxil vs. lamivudine (cost per additional responding patient with adefovir dipivoxil) was €27 872, demonstrating that this cost was slightly lower than the average cost-effectiveness ratios of adefovir dipivoxil or lamivudine. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the factors that most influence the cost-effectiveness were the response to adefovir dipivoxil and lamivudine at year 4. Conclusion

Long-term treatment with adefovir dipivoxil is a cost-effective strategy in patients with chronic hepatitis B `e' antigen-negative hepatitis.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02767.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Hepatology, Hospital Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona 2: Health Outcomes Research Unit, Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Iberia, Madrid 3: Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Puerta Hierro, Madrid 4: Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Clínico San Cecilio, Granada 5: Department of Digestive Diseases, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Seville 6: Medical Department, Gilead Sciences Inc., Madrid, Spain