Cost-effectiveness of denosumab in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

Denosumab is a novel biological agent for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with increased risk of fractures. With limited healthcare resources, economic evaluations are increasingly being used by decision-makers to optimize healthcare resource allocation. The cost-effectiveness of denosumab has been evaluated in various studies, and a systematic literature study was conducted up to April 2012 to identify all published research articles and research abstracts presented at various congresses. This article provides a systematic review of four articles and eight abstracts reporting on the cost-effectiveness of denosumab in the treatment of osteoporosis. In most economic evaluations, denosumab has been considered as a cost-effective treatment compared with first-line and second-line options (including generic alendronate) in the treatment of women with high risk of fractures.