title: Economic assessment of eltrombopag in the treatment of thrombocytopenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of eltrombopag in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related thrombocytopenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Markov model was constructed on the basis of the clinical trials ENABLE 1 and ENABLE 2. Three alternatives were considered: scenario 1; treatment with eltrombopag in both the enabling phase and during antiviral therapy, as in the ENABLE trial design; scenario 2; no eltrombopag treatment and no antiviral therapy; scenario 3; no eltrombopag treatment and subsequent administration of a reduced dose of peg-IFN.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Base case results demonstrate that scenario 1 is associated with a cost per QALY of €30,020.94 in comparison with scenario 2. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio reaches a value of €32,752.44 per QALY when scenario 1 is compared with scenario 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of eltrombopag in HCV patients with thrombocytopenia is cost-effective as it leads to a reduction in disease progression and thus a drop in the number of patients with advanced liver disease.
authors.affiliation: ALTEMS - Postgraduate School of Health Economics and Management, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coretti
authors.forename: Edoardo Giovanni
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sacchini
authors.forename: Brigida Eleonora
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Annichiarico
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodeghiero
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lidonnici
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008390:Markov Chains; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001565:Benzoates; D006834:Hydrazines; D011720:Pyrazoles; C520809:eltrombopag
keywords: Markov model; cost–effectiveness; revolade; sensitivity analysis; thrombocytopenia