Estimating the price at which hepatitis C treatment with direct-acting antivirals would be cost-saving in Japan

In Japan, 1.5–2 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. New direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) offer an unprecedented opportunity to cure HCV. While the price of HCV treatment decreased recently in most countries, it remains one of the highest in Japan. Our...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2020-03, Vol.10 (1), p.4089-4089, Article 4089
Main Authors: Zhuo, Yueran, Hayashi, Tomoyuki, Chen, Qiushi, Aggarwal, Rakesh, Hutin, Yvan, Chhatwal, Jagpreet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
692/700/1538
692/700/3934
Adult
Aged
Antiviral agents
Antiviral Agents - economics
Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use
Cost analysis
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Hepacivirus - drug effects
Hepatitis
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C - drug therapy
Hepatitis C - economics
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Hepatitis C - virology
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Japan - epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
multidisciplinary
Patients
Prognosis
Quality-Adjusted Life Years
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:In Japan, 1.5–2 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. New direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) offer an unprecedented opportunity to cure HCV. While the price of HCV treatment decreased recently in most countries, it remains one of the highest in Japan. Our objective was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HCV treatment in patients of different age groups and to estimate the price at which DAAs become cost-saving in Japan. A previously developed microsimulation model was adapted to the Japanese population and updated with Japan-specific health utilities and costs. Our model showed that compared with no treatment, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of DAAs at a price USD 41,046 per treatment was USD 9,080 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained in 60-year-old patients. HCV treatment became cost-effective after 9 years of starting treatment. However, if the price of DAAs is reduced by 55–85% (USD 6,730 to 17,720), HCV treatment would be cost-saving within a 5 to 20-year time horizon, which should serve to increase the uptake of DAA-based HCV treatment. The payers of health care in Japan could examine ways to procure DAAs at a price where they would be cost-saving.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-60986-4