title: Is treatment with ICS and LABA cost-effective for COPD? Multinational economic analysis of the TORCH study.
abstract: The TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health (TORCH) study was a 3-yr multicentre trial of 6,112 patients randomised to salmeterol (Salm), fluticasone propionate (FP), a Salm/FP combination (SFC) or placebo (P). Here the cost-effectiveness of treatments evaluated in the TORCH study is assessed. For four regions, 3-yr all-cause hospitalisation, medication and outpatient care costs were calculated. The sample was restricted to the 21 countries (n = 4,237) in which European quality of life five-dimension (EQ-5D) data were collected in order to estimate the number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Regression models were fitted to survival, study medication cost, other medication cost and EQ-5D data in order to estimate total cost, number of QALYs and cost per QALY, adjusted for missing data and region. SFC had a trial-wide estimate of cost per QALY of 43,600 US dollars (USD) compared with P (95% confidence interval 21,400-123,500 USD). Estimates for Salm versus P (197,000 USD) and FP versus P (78,000 USD) were less favourable. The US estimates were greater than those from other regions; for SFC versus P, the cost per QALY was 77,100 (46,200-241,700) USD compared to 24,200 (15,200-56,100) USD in Western Europe. Compared with P, SFC has a lower incremental cost-effectiveness ratio than either FP or Salm used alone, and is, therefore, preferred to these monotherapies on the grounds of cost-effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Section of Public Health & Health Policy, University of Glasgow, 1 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK. a.briggs@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lozano-Ortega
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: P M A
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Calverley
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vestbo
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D000368:Aged; D000420:Albuterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D000068298:Fluticasone; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D000068299:Salmeterol Xinafoate
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000730:Androstadienes; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000068299:Salmeterol Xinafoate; D000068298:Fluticasone; D000420:Albuterol