title: Cost-effectiveness of drotrecogin alfa (activated) for the treatment of severe sepsis in Germany.
abstract: Drotrecogin alfa (activated) (Xigris; Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN) significantly reduced mortality in severe sepsis in the PROWESS trial. We evaluate the cost-effectiveness of drotrecogin alfa (activated) as an adjunct to standard therapy from the German healthcare payer's perspective with respect to patients with 1) severe sepsis and 2) severe sepsis and multiple organ failure the approved European indication. Hospital resource use based on PROWESS was valued using German unit costs. German life-tables and long-term survival assumptions determined life-years gained. European and German healthcare resource use data are examined in the sensitivity analysis. We assumed a unit price of euro;237.50 for drotrecogin alfa (activated). Per patient treated, drotrecogin alfa (activated) increased costs by euro;7,500, and hospital costs by euro;900 for all patients (euro;7,400 and euro;1,500 respectively for the approved indication) and survival by 0.59 life years (0.87 life years respectively for the approved indication). Thus drotrecogin alfa (activated) cost euro;14,100 (euro;17,700 discounting life years at 3%) per life year gained for all patients (euro;10,200 and euro;12,900, respectively, for the approved indication). Testing the unit cost of drotrecogin alfa (activated), pattern of resource use, and survival benefit, demonstrated that cost-effectiveness lies well within the range of other life saving interventions in Germany representing good economic value.
authors.affiliation: HealthEcom AG, Basel, Switzerland. aneilson@healthecon.com
authors.forename: Aileen R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Neilson
authors.forename: Hilmar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burchardi
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chinn
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clouth
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Angus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011486:Protein C / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011486:Protein C; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C421124:drotrecogin alfa activated