Using competence network collaboration and decision-analytic modeling to assess the cost-effectiveness of interferon α-2b plus ribavirin as initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Germany

authored by

Uwe Siebert, Gaby Sroczynski, Jürgen Wasem, Wolfgang Greiner, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, Pamela Aidelsburger, Bärbel M. Kurth, Monika Bullinger, J. Matthias Graf Von Der Schulenburg, John B. Wong, Siegbert Rossol

Abstract

The objective of this study was to translate and apply a decision-analytic model for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to the German health care context using competence network collaboration. The German Hepatitis C Model (GEHMO) competence network used a systematic multistep approach to identify and transfer a high quality Markov model for CHC to the German health care context. GEHMO was used to project lifetime clinical and economic outcomes and to determine the cost-effectiveness of initial antiviral therapy with interferon α-2b plus ribavirin from a societal perspective. In 40-year-old patients combination therapy for 24 and 48 weeks increased life expectancy by 1.6 and 2.3 years, respectively, compared with interferon alone for 48 weeks. The discounted incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR) for combination therapy were €5,500 per quality-adjusted life-year gained (QALY) for 24 weeks and €6,800/QALY for 48 weeks of treatment. ICUR was €9,800/QALY for moving from 24 to 48 weeks of treatment. Combination therapy remained cost-effective in sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, combination therapy with interferon α-2b and ribavirin is effective and cost-effective compared with other well-accepted medical treatments. Competence network collaboration and decision modeling provide a useful and efficient approach to combine evidence from international studies with country-specific parameters.

Organisation(s)

Center for Health Economics Research Hannover (CHERH)

External Organisation(s)

Harvard University
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
University of Duisburg-Essen
Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
Universität Hamburg
Tufts University
General Hospital Rüsselsheim

Type

Article

Journal

European Journal of Health Economics

Volume

6

Pages

112-123

No. of pages

12

ISSN

1618-7598

Publication date

06.2005

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous), Health Policy

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-005-0280-7 (Access: Closed)