[Bisprolol in heart failure: efficacy and costs in a French setting according to CIBIS II]

After a significant mortality benefit with bisoprolol in heart failure was demonstrated in CIBIS-II, an economic evaluation has been performed in cost-effectiveness terms. Average direct costs per patient were based on clinical data from 231 French patients, and measured in the perspective of the French National Health Insurance, effectiveness being expressed in terms of life days gained per patient. The extra cost of bisoprolol treatment and follow-up (averaging FF 1300 per 1.3 years) is outweighed by the reduction in hospitalization costs (representing a saving of FF 10,500 per patient) and other medication costs. Finally, bisoprolol therapy induces benefits in terms of both cost and survival: on average FF 9500 and 11 life days per patient. Sensitivity analyses confirm these results.