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Economics of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C

Arathi Rajendra1, John B Wong

  • 1Division of Clinical Decision Making, Department of Medicine, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 750 Washington Street, NEMC 302, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

Journal of Hepatology
|August 19, 2007
PubMed

Insights

New antiviral treatments for chronic hepatitis B and C offer clinical benefits but raise economic questions. This review explores drug costs, economic analyses, and cost-effectiveness to guide clinical decisions on treatment value.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Health Economics
  • Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B and C infections lead to significant global morbidity and mortality.
  • Recent advancements have introduced numerous novel antiviral therapies.
  • The economic implications of these treatments are a growing concern for healthcare stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate economic principles in antiviral treatment for hepatitis B and C.
  • To examine considerations in estimating drug costs and performing economic analyses.
  • To summarize published cost-effectiveness analyses of antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis B and C.

Main Methods:

  • Review of economic principles relevant to antiviral drug treatment.
  • Examination of methodologies for cost estimation and economic analysis.
  • Synthesis of published cost-effectiveness studies for hepatitis B and C antivirals.

Main Results:

  • Discussion of factors influencing drug costs for hepatitis B and C treatments.
  • Overview of methods used in economic evaluations of antiviral therapies.
  • Summary of findings from cost-effectiveness analyses, highlighting value considerations.

Conclusions:

  • Clinicians need to understand the economic aspects of new antiviral drugs.
  • Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of hepatitis B and C treatments is crucial.
  • This review aids in determining if clinical benefits justify the expense of antiviral medications.

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