Annual biologic treatment cost for new and existing patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in Greece

Abstract

Vassilis Fragoulakis,1 Efklidis Raptis,2 Elli Vitsou,2 Nikolaos Maniadakis1 1Health Services Organization and Management, National School of Public Health, 2Pfizer Hellas, Athens, Greece Aim: The aim of the present study was to estimate the annual per-patient cost of treatment with adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, and ustekinumab by response status for new and existing patients with moderate to severe psoriasis in Greece. Methods: An economic analysis was developed from a national health care perspective to estimate the direct cost of treatment alternatives for new and existing patients within a 1-year time horizon. The model included drug acquisition and administration costs for responders and nonresponders. Real-world treatment pattern and resource use data were extracted through nationwide field research using telephone-based interviews with a representative sample of dermatologists. Unit costs were collected from official sources in the public domain. Results: The mean annual cost of treatment for new patients who responded (or did not respond) to treatment was as follows: adalimumab €10,686 (€3,821), etanercept €10,415 (€3,224), infliximab €14,738 (€7,582), and ustekinumab €17,155 (€9,806). For existing patients the mean annual cost was €9,916, €9,462, €12,949, and €17,149, respectively. Results did not change significantly under several one-way sensitivity and scenario analyses. Conclusion: Under the base-case scenario, the cost of treatment with etanercept is lower than that of the other biological agents licensed for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in Greece, for both new and existing patients, irrespective of response status. Keywords: adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, ustekinumab, economic evaluation, biologics