Cost-effectiveness of omalizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe uncontrolled allergic asthma in the United States

• Published in: Current medical research and opinion 2020-01, Vol.36 (1), p.23-32
• Main Authors: Sullivan, Patrick W., Li, Qianyi, Bilir, S. Pinar, Dang, Joseph, Kavati, Abhishek, Yang, Ming, Rajput, Yamina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asthma; Cost-effectiveness analysis; Economics; Exacerbations; Omalizumab; Quality of life; Real-world
• ISSN: 0300-7995; 1473-4877
• DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2019.1660539

Objective: Uncontrolled asthma is associated with considerable clinical burden and costs to payers and patients. US economic models evaluating biologics using data from clinical trials demonstrate high incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), but the cost-effectiveness based on real-world treatment patterns is unknown. This analysis used real-world evidence to assess the cost-effectiveness of adding omalizumab to standard of care (SOC). Methods: A Markov model was applied to track patients' health states in 2-week cycles, comparing costs and treatment effects of SOC alone versus SOC + omalizumab over a lifetime (US payer perspective). Outcomes included exacerbation events, life years, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), total costs, and an ICER. Patient characteristics, exacerbations, patient-reported outcomes, and work productivity were derived from the real-world PROSPERO (Prospective Study to Evaluate Predictors of Clinical Effectiveness in Response to Omalizumab) study. Published literature informed mortality, exacerbation-related disutility, and unit costs. Sensitivity analyses assessed model robustness. Results: Over a lifetime horizon, omalizumab was associated with an increase of 2.0 QALYs at a cost of $US 148,319 in patients with uncontrolled asthma (ICER of $75,319/QALY gained) and a reduction in exacerbations of 6.0 events/patient. Accounting for responder status improved the ICER ($70,505/QALY); incorporating indirect costs further reduced the ICER. One-way and multivariate sensitivity analyses confirmed that the base case outcome was robust to variation in inputs. Conclusions: Based on real-world outcomes, omalizumab may be cost-effective for uncontrolled asthma from the US payer perspective. Including broader evidence on treatment discontinuation, caregiver burden, and oral corticosteroid reduction from real-world studies may better reflect the effects and value of omalizumab for all healthcare stakeholders.