title: The cost-effectiveness of long-term antiviral therapy in the management of HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B in Singapore.
abstract: The purpose of this study was the economic evaluation of short-duration treatments of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and longer duration antiviral treatment for up to 5 years. Two 10-health state Markov models were developed for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB patients respectively. The perspective of this economic evaluation was the Singapore healthcare system and CHB patient. The models followed cohorts of HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB patients, respectively, over a period of 40 years, by which time the majority of the cohorts would have died if left untreated. Costs and benefits were discounted at 5% per annum. Annual rates of disease progression and the magnitude of treatment effects were obtained from the literature, with a focus on data obtained in Asian patients and meeting the criteria for therapy as described in internationally recognized management guidelines. Short-course therapy with alpha-interferon, or 1-year treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a, lamivudine or adefovir had limited impact on disease progression. In contrast, treatment of CHB with antiviral therapy for 5 years substantially decreased the rate of disease progression. Treatment with lamivudine for 1-year is highly cost-effective compared with no treatment of CHB but has limited effect on reducing the rate of disease progression. Compared with 1-year treatment with lamivudine, sequential antiviral therapies for up to 5 years (i.e. lamivudine plus adefovir on emergence of lamivudine resistance or adefovir plus lamivudine on emergence of adefovir resistance) are highly cost-effective by international standards. These conclusions are robust to uncertainties in model inputs and are consistent with the findings of other recently published studies.
authors.affiliation: LaceySolutions Ltd, Skerries, Republic of Ireland. larrylacey@unison.ie
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gane
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000254:growth & development*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008390:Markov Chains; D018803:Models, Economic; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012846:Singapore
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D063065:Organophosphonates; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019259:Lamivudine; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D000225:Adenine; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a; C106812:adefovir dipivoxil