Using competence network collaboration and decision-analytic modeling to assess the cost-effectiveness of interferon [alpha]-2b plus ribavirin as initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Germany

The objective of this study was to translate and apply a decision-analytic model for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to the German health care context using competence network collaboration. The German Hepatitis C Model (GEHMO) competence network used a systematic multistep approach to identify and transf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European journal of health economics 2005-06, Vol.6 (2), p.112
Main Authors: Siebert, Uwe, Sroczynski, Gaby, Wasem, Jürgen, Greiner, Wolfgang, Ravens-sieberer, Ulrike, Aidelsburger, Pamela, Kurth, Bärbel M, Bullinger, Monika, Graf von der Schulenburg, J-matthias, Wong, John B, Rossol, Siegbert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collaboration
Cost analysis
Drug therapy
Health economics
Hepatitis
Hepatitis C
Interferon
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Summary:The objective of this study was to translate and apply a decision-analytic model for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to the German health care context using competence network collaboration. The German Hepatitis C Model (GEHMO) competence network used a systematic multistep approach to identify and transfer a high quality Markov model for CHC to the German health care context. GEHMO was used to project lifetime clinical and economic outcomes and to determine the cost-effectiveness of initial antiviral therapy with interferon α-2b plus ribavirin from a societal perspective. In 40-year-old patients combination therapy for 24 and 48 weeks increased life expectancy by 1.6 and 2.3 years, respectively, compared with interferon alone for 48 weeks. The discounted incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR) for combination therapy were [euro]5,500 per quality-adjusted life-year gained (QALY) for 24 weeks and [euro]6,800/QALY for 48 weeks of treatment. ICUR was [euro]9,800/QALY for moving from 24 to 48 weeks of treatment. Combination therapy remained cost-effective in sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, combination therapy with interferon α-2b and ribavirin is effective and cost-effective compared with other well-accepted medical treatments. Competence network collaboration and decision modeling provide a useful and efficient approach to combine evidence from international studies with country-specific parameters.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:1618-7598
1618-7601
DOI:10.1007/s10198-005-0280-7