PharmacoEconomics
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Recent randomised trials have demonstrated a statistically significant effect of trastuzumab on disease-free survival when used as adjuvant therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein (HER2)-positive resectable early stage breast cancer, with a treatment course lasting either 9 or 52 weeks. However, the cost effectiveness of adjuvant trastuzumab with respect to mortality remains uncertain, especially in an Australian setting. ⋯ The results suggest that trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer may be cost effective when given over either 52 or 9 weeks at current acquisition costs in Australia. However, the overall budget impact of the 52-week course is significant, and the 9-week course appears economically attractive.
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Although there are estimated to be nearly 1 million cases of herpes zoster diagnosed in the US each year, the economic costs associated with herpes zoster in the US have not been well described. ⋯ The management of acute/subacute herpes zoster was found to result in substantial healthcare costs, with outpatient care and prescription drugs comprising the majority of the cost burden. To more fully understand the overall cost of herpes zoster disease to society, future studies should examine the healthcare costs associated with post-herpetic neuralgia and productivity losses due to herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia.
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The health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of children and adolescents is increasingly considered a relevant topic for research. Instruments to assess quality of life in children and adolescents of a generic as well as disease- or condition-specific nature are being developed and applied in epidemiological surveys, clinical studies, quality assurance and health economics. This paper attempts to give an overview on the state of the art of HR-QOL assessment in children as it relates to methodological and conceptual challenges. ⋯ It was concluded that (i) HR-QOL instruments are available to assess the dimensions of the construct relevant to children and adolescents; (ii) provided that an instrument was constructed in an appropriate way, the dimensions of HR-QOL can be measured in an interculturally comparable manner; (iii) the HR-QOL of children and adolescents can and should be ascertained by self-rating; (iv) the measurement instruments used have to consider maturity and cognitive development; (v) only generic quality-of-life instruments allow for an assessment of HR-QOL in both healthy and chronically ill children and adolescents; (vi) the representation of HR-QOL achieved through a singular index value is connected to strict psychometric conditions: the index instrument has to be tailored to these psychometric conditions; (vii) how far utility measures are employable with children and adolescents has to be investigated in further studies. The problem aspects identified indicate the necessity for further research. Nevertheless, instruments for assessing the HR-QOL of children and adolescents can be identified that meet the requirements mentioned above.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Economic evaluation of weekly epoetin alfa versus biweekly darbepoetin alfa for chemotherapy-induced anaemia: evidence from a 16-week randomised trial.
A 16-week, open-label, multicentre, randomised trial of weekly epoetin alfa 40 000 units versus biweekly darbepoetin alfa 200microg among 358 patients with solid-tumour cancers and chemotherapy-induced anaemia demonstrated superior haematological outcomes with epoetin alfa. We sought to compare resource use, costs and clinical outcomes between treatment groups and report the results using a cost-consequences framework. ⋯ Most clinical outcome measures suggested greater improvement with epoetin alfa relative to darbepoetin alfa, but most costs for both agents appeared similar. Decision makers must evaluate the differences in costs and efficacy measures that are most relevant from their perspectives.