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Published on: February 26, 2013
Episodic versus prophylactic infusions for hemophilia A: a cost-effectiveness analysis
P S Smith1, S M Teutsch, P A Shaffer
1Department of Pediatrics, Brown University, Providence 02903, USA.
Insights
Prophylactic care for severe hemophilia A significantly reduces bleeding events but incurs substantial costs. Cost-effectiveness improves with longer treatment duration and lower concentrate prices.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Health Economics
- Pediatric Care
Background:
- Severe hemophilia A requires lifelong management to prevent bleeding complications.
- Current treatment paradigms include episodic care for bleeding events and prophylactic infusions.
- The cost-effectiveness of these approaches requires detailed analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness of prophylactic versus episodic care in boys with severe hemophilia A.
- To compare the economic impact of different prophylactic infusion durations.
Main Methods:
- A comparative analysis using charge data from 11 U.S. hemophilia treatment centers.
- Data collected from 70 boys on episodic care and 27 boys on prophylactic care over two years.
- A cost-effectiveness model developed for hypothetical patients from ages 3 to 50 years.
Main Results:
- Prophylactic care resulted in significantly fewer bleeding events (median 3 vs 31 annually) but higher concentrate use.
- Factor VIII concentrate constituted over 93% of costs for both care types.
- Prophylaxis from ages 3-20 cost $1100 per bleeding event prevented; from 3-50 years, $1380.
- Total prophylactic costs could match episodic costs if concentrate prices were halved.
Conclusions:
- Prophylactic care substantially decreases bleeding frequency and is expected to prevent joint damage.
- Despite significant costs, prophylaxis offers clinical benefits in managing severe hemophilia A.
- Economic viability of prophylaxis is sensitive to Factor VIII concentrate pricing.
Objective:
To assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of prophylactic compared with episodic care in boys with severe hemophilia A.
Setting:
Eleven U.S. hemophilia treatment centers.
Methods:
Charge data from a randomly selected cohort of 70 boys receiving episodic infusions for bleeding events and from all 27 boys receiving infusions prophylactically were collected from documents obtained from the hemophilia treatment centers during a period of approximately 2 years. Published and public sources were used for conversion to cost, lifetime earnings, and earnings losses from disability. A model was constructed for a hypothetical patient from ages 3 to 50 years by means of three infusion scenarios.
Results:
The cohort receiving prophylactic treatment had fewer bleeding events each year (median, 3 vs 31) but used more concentrate (3323 vs 1015 units/kg per year). Factor VIII concentrate accounted for more than 93% of the cost of both episodic and prophylactic care. Compared with episodic infusion, prophylaxis from ages 3 to 20 years costs $1100 per bleeding event prevented, in comparison with $1380 for prophylaxis from ages 3 to 50 years. The total cost of prophylactic care from ages 3 to 50 years would equal the current total cost of episodic care if the price of the concentrate were decreased by 50%.
Conclusion:
Prophylactic care markedly reduces the number of bleeding events and should prevent joint function impairment, but at substantial cost.
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