Allergy immunotherapy: what is the evidence for cost saving?

Area of Science:

• Allergy and immunology
• Health economics
• Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

• Allergic diseases are prevalent, imposing significant clinical and economic burdens.
• Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) offers disease-modifying benefits.
• Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is increasingly available.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically update the evidence for cost savings associated with AIT (both SCIT and SLIT).
• To review published literature on the health economics of AIT.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 24 publications on the health economics of AIT.
• Analysis of studies comparing AIT (SCIT and SLIT) to symptomatic drug treatment (SDT).
• Comparison of cost outcomes between SLIT and SCIT.

Main Results:

• 23 out of 24 studies demonstrated cost savings for AIT over SDT.
• Four out of six studies reported cost savings favoring SLIT over SCIT.
• AIT is cost-effective for various allergic conditions, including allergic asthma and rhinitis.

Conclusions:

• AIT consistently demonstrates cost savings compared to SDT across diverse geographical regions and allergic conditions.
• SLIT may offer greater cost-effectiveness than SCIT.
• The findings support AIT as a cost-saving treatment strategy for allergic diseases.