Dupilumab in children with moderate-to-severe asthma: A cost utility analysis

Area of Science:

• Pharmacoeconomics
• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Health Technology Assessment

Background:

• Severe asthma in children poses significant management challenges.
• Dupilumab offers a novel therapeutic option but its high cost raises cost-effectiveness concerns.
• Evaluating the economic value of dupilumab is crucial for healthcare decision-making in pediatric severe asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the cost-utility of dupilumab plus standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone.
• To assess the economic value of dupilumab in children aged 6–11 years with severe asthma and an eosinophilic phenotype.
• To provide evidence for healthcare policy and drug negotiation in Colombia.

Main Methods:

• A Markov-type model simulated a cohort of pediatric patients over a 6-year period.
• Costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated for both treatment arms.
• Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure model robustness.

Main Results:

• Dupilumab yielded 0.85 QALYs per patient, compared to 0.84 for SoC alone.
• Mean discounted costs were US$379 per patient for dupilumab versus US$19 for SoC.
• The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was US$24,660 per QALY.

Conclusions:

• Dupilumab is not cost-effective in Colombia for treating severe pediatric asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype.
• The findings suggest a need for improved drug negotiation strategies by regulatory agencies.
• Further economic evaluations are warranted to guide optimal resource allocation in pediatric asthma management.