An economic evaluation of fluvastatin used for the prevention of cardiac events following successful first percutaneous coronary intervention in the UK.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the costs, benefits and cost effectiveness, from the UK NHS perspective, of fluvastatin (relative to no HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor [statin]) for the secondary prevention of major adverse cardiac events following a successful first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).


METHODS
A cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken using efficacy data from the Lescol Intervention Prevention Study (LIPS). LIPS was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial undertaken in 77 centres (predominantly in Europe). Patients included in the trial had moderate hypercholesterolaemia and had successfully undergone their first PCI. Fluvastatin (Lescol) 40 mg twice daily plus dietary counselling was given to the intervention group for up to 4 years; the control group received dietary counselling only. A Markov model was used to estimate the incremental costs per QALY gained over a 10-year period, with cost data drawn from the UK NHS (2002 values). Monte Carlo simulations and multivariate analysis were used to assess uncertainty. Costs were discounted at 6% per annum, and health outcomes at 1.5% per annum.


RESULTS
On average, treatment with fluvastatin cost an additional pound 300 (SD pound 303) [euro 423; SD euro 428] per patient and resulted in an additional 0.092 (SD 0.06) QALYs per patient over 10 years compared with controls. The incremental cost per QALY gained with fluvastatin versus the control group was pound 3207 (SD pound 5,497) [euro 4,527; SD euro 7,759]. Fluvastatin was dominant (better outcomes and lower costs) in 15.9% of the simulations and was dominated in 2.9%. The key determinants of cost effectiveness were: the effectiveness of fluvastatin in reducing acute myocardial infarction, subsequent PCI, coronary artery bypass graft and cardiac deaths; the utility weight associated with a subsequent post-PCI state; the cost of fluvastatin; and the time horizon evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Fluvastatin is the only statin which has proven effective in preventing major coronary adverse events in new PCI patients; other statins lack this evidence. This Markov model, with its underlying assumptions and data, suggests that fluvastatin is a viable and economically efficient pharmaceutical (relative to no statin) to reduce heart disease in the UK when given routinely to all patients following PCI.
Scuffham
Paul A
PA
York Health Economics Consortium Ltd, University of York, York, UK. p.scuffham@sph.uq.edu.au
Chaplin
Stephen
S
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D007211:Indoles / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008390:Markov Chains; D018803:Models, Economic; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D000077340:Fluvastatin