title: The cost effectiveness of ivabradine in the treatment of chronic heart failure from the U.K. National Health Service perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ivabradine, a specific heart rate lowering therapy, has been shown in a randomised placebo-controlled study, Systolic HF Treatment with the If Inhibitor Ivabradine Trial (SHIfT), to significantly reduce the composite end point of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation for worsening heart failure (HF) in patients with systolic HF who are in sinus rhythm and with a heart rate ≥70 bpm, when added to optimised medical therapy (HR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.90, p<0.0001). We assessed the cost effectiveness of ivabradine, from a UK National Health Service perspective, based on the results of SHIfT.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Markov model estimated the cost effectiveness of ivabradine compared with standard care for two cohorts of patients with HF (heart rate ≥75 bpm in line with the EU labelled indication; and heart rate ≥70 bpm in line with the SHIfT study population). Modelled outcomes included death, hospitalisation, quality of life and New York Heart Association class. Total costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) for ivabradine and standard care were estimated over a lifetime horizon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incremental cost per additional QALY for ivabradine plus standard care versus standard care has been estimated as £8498 for heart rate ≥75 bpm and £13 764 for heart rate ≥70 bpm. Ivabradine is expected to have a 95% chance of being cost-effective in the EU licensed population using the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost effectiveness threshold of £20 000 per QALY. These results were robust in sensitivity analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This economic evaluation suggests that the use of ivabradine is likely to be cost-effective in eligible patients with HF from a UK National Health Service perspective.
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paracha
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Servier Laboratories Ltd, Suresnes, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Branscombe
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics, Oxford, UK Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sculpher
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001552:Benzazepines / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D000077550:Ivabradine; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008390:Markov Chains; D018803:Models, Economic; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D001552:Benzazepines; D000077550:Ivabradine