title: Cost-effectiveness analysis evaluating fidaxomicin versus oral vancomycin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fidaxomicin is a novel treatment for Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs). This new treatment, however, is associated with a higher acquisition cost compared with alternatives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of fidaxomicin or oral vancomycin for the treatment of CDIs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cost-utility analysis comparing fidaxomicin with oral vancomycin for the treatment of CDIs in the United States by creating a decision analytic model from the third-party payer perspective.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio with fidaxomicin compared with oral vancomycin was $67,576/quality-adjusted life-year. A probabilistic Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis showed that fidaxomicin had an 80.2% chance of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year. Fidaxomicin remained cost-effective under all fluctuations of both fidaxomicin and oral vancomycin costs. The decision analytic model was sensitive to variations in clinical cure and recurrence rates. Secondary analyses revealed that fidaxomicin was cost-effective in patients receiving concominant antimicrobials, in patients with mild to moderate CDIs, and when compared with oral metronidazole in patients with mild to moderate disease. Fidaxomicin was dominated by oral vancomycin if CDI was caused by the NAP1/Bl/027 Clostridium difficile strain and was dominant in institutions that did not compound oral vancomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of our model showed that fidaxomicin may be a more cost-effective option for the treatment of CDIs when compared with oral vancomycin under most scenarios tested.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stranges
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hutton
authors.forename: Curtis D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003663:Decision Trees; D000077732:Fidaxomicin; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012008:Recurrence; D014481:United States; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin; D000077732:Fidaxomicin