The cost-benefit approach to pricing new medicines: doxazosin versus beta-blocker treatment in Sweden.
The economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals is becoming increasingly important. This article presents an illustrative example of how the cost-benefit approach can be used in the pricing of a new pharmaceutical product. Doxazosin, a new selective alpha 1-inhibitor used in the treatment of hypertension, is compared with the established beta-blocker, atenolol. Cost-effectiveness ratios are calculated for both, and from the analysis it emerges that doxazosin is the more cost-effective agent. This is largely the result of the favorable high-density lipoprotein/total cholesterol changes that doxazosin produces. Even when doxazosin is priced 30% higher than atenolol, doxazosin is more cost-effective. It is concluded that in the future economic evaluations will have significant impacts on research and development within the pharmaceutical industry. However, a number of issues still must be addressed, and economic evaluation should be subject to continuous review.
Lindgren
B
B
Swedish Institute for Health Economics, Lund.
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods; D017292:Doxazosin; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011224:Prazosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013548:Sweden
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D001262:Atenolol; D002784:Cholesterol; D017292:Doxazosin; D011224:Prazosin