Jefferson Antonio Buendía1, Diana Guerrero Patiño2, John Edwin Feliciano-Alfonso3. 1. Research group in Pharmacology and Toxicology" INFARTO". Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. 2. Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Infantil Concejo de Medellín, Medellín, Colombia. 3. Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: An important proportion of asthma patients remain uncontrolled despite the use of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. Some add-on therapies, like azithromycin, have been recommended for this subgroup of patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of azithromycin as an add-on therapy to ICS + LABA for patients with severe asthma. METHODS: A probabilistic Markov model was created to estimate the cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of patients with severe asthma in Colombia. The total costs and QALYS of two interventions, including standard therapy (ICS + LABA), and add-on therapy with azithromycin, were calculated over a lifetime horizon. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated at a willingness-to-pay value of $19,000. RESULTS: The model suggests a potential gain of 0.037 QALYs per patient per year on azithromycin, with a difference of US $718 in favor of azithromycin, showing dominance with respect to SOC. A position of dominance negates the need to calculate an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. In the deterministic sensitivity analyses, our base-case results were robust to variations in all assumptions and parameters. CONCLUSION: Add-on therapy with azithromycin was found to be cost-effective when added to usual care in patients who remain uncontrolled despite treatment with medium or high-dose ICS/LABA.
BACKGROUND: An important proportion of asthma patients remain uncontrolled despite the use of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists. Some add-on therapies, like azithromycin, have been recommended for this subgroup of patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of azithromycin as an add-on therapy to ICS + LABA for patients with severe asthma. METHODS: A probabilistic Markov model was created to estimate the cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of patients with severe asthma in Colombia. The total costs and QALYS of two interventions, including standard therapy (ICS + LABA), and add-on therapy with azithromycin, were calculated over a lifetime horizon. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated at a willingness-to-pay value of $19,000. RESULTS: The model suggests a potential gain of 0.037 QALYs per patient per year on azithromycin, with a difference of US $718 in favor of azithromycin, showing dominance with respect to SOC. A position of dominance negates the need to calculate an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. In the deterministic sensitivity analyses, our base-case results were robust to variations in all assumptions and parameters. CONCLUSION: Add-on therapy with azithromycin was found to be cost-effective when added to usual care in patients who remain uncontrolled despite treatment with medium or high-dose ICS/LABA.