Cost-effectiveness of subcutaneous house dust mite allergen
immunotherapy plus pharmacotherapy for allergic asthma
Abstract
Background: Current cost-effectiveness evaluations of the house dust
mite (HDM) allergen immunotherapy fail to account for its effect on the
reduction of exacerbations and medications while considering potential
differences across patient populations. We aimed to evaluate the
cost-effectiveness of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) plus inhaled
corticosteroids (ICS) vs ICS for pediatric and adult patients with
allergic asthma (AA) and AA with Allergic rhinitis (AR) from the health
care system perspective. Methods: A Markov model with a 3-month cycle
length and a 10-year time horizon was developed. A hypothetical cohort
of eight years old patients with controlled (or partially controlled) AA
was the base case population. Health states were: treatment with GINA
Step-3, Step-2, medication-free asthma, and all-cause death.
Effectiveness was measured by the reduction in medication doses and
exacerbations. Scenario analyses were conducted considering allergic AR
as a comorbid condition and an 18-years old cohort at baseline with or
without AR. Results: In the base case, the SCIT+ICS would avert 847
exacerbations per 1,000 patients treated and generate additional 0.37
quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and $836 costs per patient
(SCIT+ICS=6.79 QALYs at a cost of $1,438/patient, ICS=6.42 QALYs at a
cost of $601/patient). An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER)
of $2,238 per QALY that fall below the willingness to pay threshold was
obtained. The SCIT+ICS was also cost-effective among sub-groups of
interest: adults win AA (ICER=$2,227) and AA+AR patients (8-years old
cohort=$1,628, 18-years old cohort=$1,617). Conclusion: the SCIT+ICS
can be cost-effective for pediatric and adult patients with AA with or
without AR