title: Cost-effectiveness of phosphate binders among patients with chronic kidney disease not yet on dialysis: a long way to go.
abstract: Hyperphosphatemia management is integral to the management of patients with chronic kidney disease. This mineral abnormality is associated with greater costs, but so is its management, especially with the use novel phosphate binders. The economic evaluation of these pharmaceutical agents is increasingly needed to provide evidence for value of money spent and inform resource allocation. Recently, Nguyen et al. explored the economical attractiveness of Sevelamer relative to Calcium Carbonate among patients with chronic kidney disease not yet on dialysis and concluded that the former was cost-effective. The current commentary discusses the results of this analysis and sheds light on the methodological challenges of economic evaluations in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. r.rizk@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8850-6502
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizk
mesh_terms: D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D054559:Hyperphosphatemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D000069603:Sevelamer / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D000069603:Sevelamer; D002119:Calcium Carbonate
keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Cost-effectiveness analysis; Hyperphosphatemia; Phosphate binders