[Pharmacoeconomic analysis of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis treated with telithromycin or cefuroxime-axetil].
BACKGROUND
A pharmacoeconomic analysis was done to compare the efficiency of two treatments in the acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis: telithromycin and cefuroxime-axetil.


METHODS
Restrospective analysis, modeled through a decision tree. The effectiveness of the treatments was estimated through a randomized and double-blind clinical trial in which 800 mg/day (5 days) of telithromycin were compared with 1,000 mg/day (10 days) of cefuroxime-axetil in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (140 and 142 patients, respectively). Resources use was estimated from clinical trial and from Spanish data, and the unit costs through a health costs dabatase. The model was validated by a panel of Spanish clinical experts.


RESULTS
Since the clinical trial was designed to demonstrate equivalence, there were no significant differences of effectiveness among both treatments (with a rate of clinical cure of 86.4% and 83.1%, respectively) which means that an analysis of costs minimization was done. In the average case, the average cost of the disease by patient was 174.83 Euros with telithromycin and 194.68 Euros with cefuroxime-axetil (a difference of 19.85 Euros). The results were maintained in the analysis of sensitivity, with favorable differences for telithromycin that ranged between 18.04 Euros and 22.25 Euros.


CONCLUSIONS
With telithromycin up to 22 Euros by patient with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis could be saved, in comparison with cefuroxime-axetil.
Rubio-Terrés
C
C
HERO Consulting, Madrid, Spain. carlosrubiol@wanadoo.es
Cots
J M
JM
Domínguez-Gil
A
A
Herreras
A
A
Sánchez Gascón
F
F
Chang
J
J
Trilla
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000465:Algorithms; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D002444:Cefuroxime / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D048628:Ketolides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D048628:Ketolides; C106791:telithromycin; D002444:Cefuroxime; C040738:cefuroxime axetil