Is Sacubitril-Valsartan More Cost Effective than Enalapril for HFrEF?

By DocWire News Editors - Last Updated: August 21, 2020

Sacubitril-valsartan administration was cost-effective and associated with benefit in patients hospitalized with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a new analysis suggests.

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“Sacubitril-valsartan use reduces mortality and hospitalizations compared with enalapril among patients with chronic HFrEF; however, the cost-effectiveness of these treatments when initiated during hospitalization for HF is unknown,” the authors wrote.

The authors, publishing in JAMA Cardiology, conducted an economic evaluation and looked at data on patients with HFrEF. They used a 5-state Markov model with all-cause mortality, HF, and non-HF hospitalization probabilities. The researchers also assessed quality of life using Euro-QoL EQ-5D scores. Also included in the analysis were hospitalization, long-term care, and medication costs for sacubitril-valsartan and enalapril. Patients were a mean age of 63.8 years.

According to the study results, treatment for inpatients with sacubitril-valsartan ($5,628 per year) was linked with 62 fewer HF-related admissions per 1,000 patients versus outpatient initiation or 116 fewer HR-related admissions using enalapril. The authors noted that hospital initiation of sacubitril-valsartan on average saved $452 per year compared with enalapril, and saved $811 per year compared with initiation at two months after hospitalization. Sacubitril-valsartan was associated with a cost-effectiveness ratio of $21,532 per quality-adjusted life-year versus continued enalapril over a lifetime.

Looking at the cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective, initiation of sacubitril-valsartan in the inpatient setting was estimated to save $460 per year per patients compared with no initiation of the treatment, and was linked with $813 per year per patients with initiation after hospitalization. Inpatient initiation of the combination therapy was linked with up to $449 per person for one year and $2,550 per person for five years versus continued enalapril.

“The findings suggest that, for patients with HFrEF, initiation of sacubitril-valsartan during hospitalization may be associated with reduced hospitalizations, increased quality-adjusted life expectancy, and cost savings compared with no initiation or initiation after hospitalization,” the authors wrote in their conclusion.

 

Post Tags:HFrEF
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