Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of therapy conversion to insulin detemir in patients with type 2 diabetes in Germany: a modelling study of long-term clinical and cost outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of transferring type 2 diabetes patients to an insulin detemir regimen after failure to achieve adequate control with oral antidiabetic agents (OADs) alone, or in combination with neutral protamine hagedorn (NPH) insulin, or with insulin glargine in Germany.


METHODS
A computer simulation model of diabetes was used to make long-term projections of future clinical outcomes and direct medical costs based on findings from a German subanalysis of the PREDICTIVE trial. The study analysed the impact of converting patients failing their current treatments to an insulin detemir regimen. Therapy conversion to insulin detemir +/- OADs was associated with a significant reduction in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1)c) compared with OADs alone, NPH insulin +/- OADs, and insulin glargine +/- OADs. Across all three groups, hypoglycaemia rates decreased by 80% and patients lost an average of 0.9 kg of body weight during treatment with insulin detemir +/- OADs.


RESULTS
Therapy conversion to insulin detemir +/- OADs was projected to improve life expectancy by 0.28 years compared with OADs alone, and by 0.13 years compared with the NPH and glargine regimens. Transfer to insulin detemir was associated with improvements in quality-adjusted life expectancy of 0.21 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) over OADs alone, 0.28 QALYs over NPH +/- OADs, and 0.29 QALYs over glargine +/- OADs. Insulin detemir was associated with savings over patient lifetimes due to reduced diabetes-related complications in all three comparisons.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy conversion to insulin detemir +/- OADs in type 2 diabetes patients failing OADs alone, NPH or insulin glargine regimens was associated with improvements in life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy and cost savings in all three scenarios evaluated.
IMS Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Gewerbestrasse 25, 4123 Allschwil, Basel, Switzerland.
William J
WJ
Valentine
Gordon
G
Goodall
Mark
M
Aagren
Steffen
S
Nielsen
Andrew J
AJ
Palmer
Katrina
K
Erny-Albrecht
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001835:Body Weight; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069057:Insulin Detemir; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D007336:Insulin, Isophane / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D000069057:Insulin Detemir; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D007336:Insulin, Isophane; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting