Pharmacoeconomics applied to chronic hepatitis C.
Life expectancy has increased over the last century as it had never been before. This is the result of a combination of many favorable variables such as level of education, improved socio-economic environment and development of medicine. However, new improvements demand heavy investment. Thus, the incorporation of medical technology became a health and economic issue. The pharmacoeconomic knowledge field is being developed to help in the analysis of medical costs and patient needs. The applies to hepatitic C, a common and chronic worldwide disease. In this article, the authors describe the rational behind this type of health economic analysis and review a hepatitis C model. Overall, in a non-Brazilian scenario, it was demonstrated that peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) is cost effective in the treatment of HCV disease.
Tatsch
Fernando Franciosi
FF
Gerente médico de Divisāo de Virologia/TX Roche, Brazil. fernando.tatsch@roche.com
Sette
Hoel
H
Vianna
Denizar
D
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D008390:Markov Chains; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin