Cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19 LOF-guided antiplatelet therapy in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome

Genetic-Guided Pharmacotherapy for Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic and Critical Review of Economic Evaluations

BACKGROUND

Genetic-guided pharmacotherapy (PGx) is not recommended in clinical guidelines for coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to examine the extent and quality of evidence from economic evaluations of PGx in CAD and to identify variables influential in changing conclusions on cost-effectiveness.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From systematic searches across 6 databases, 2 independent reviewers screened, included, and rated the methodological quality of economic evaluations of PGx testing to guide pharmacotherapy for patients with CAD. Of 35 economic evaluations included, most were model-based cost-utility analyses alone, or alongside cost-effectiveness analyses of PGx testing to stratify patients into antiplatelets (25/35), statins (2/35), pain killers (1/35), or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (1/35) to predict CAD risk (8/35) or to determine the coumadin doses (1/35). To stratify patients into antiplatelets (96/151 comparisons with complete findings of PGx versus non-PGx), PGx was more effective and more costly than non-PGx clopidogrel (28/43) but less costly than non-PGx prasugrel (10/15) and less costly and less effective than non-PGx ticagrelor (22/25). To predict CAD risk (51/151 comparisons), PGx using genetic risk scores was more effective and less costly than clinical risk score (13/17) but more costly than no risk score (16/19) or no treatment (9/9). The remaining comparisons were too few to observe any trend. Mortality risk was the most common variable (47/294) changing conclusions.

CONCLUSIONS

Economic evaluations to date found PGx to stratify patients with CAD into antiplatelets or to predict CAD risk to be cost-effective, but findings varied based on the non-PGx comparators, underscoring the importance of considering local practice in deciding whether to adopt PGx.

From genes to drugs: CYP2C19 and pharmacogenetics in clinical practice

The CYP2C19 gene is frequently included in different pharmacogenomic panels tested in clinical practice, due to its involvement in the metabolism of a myriad of frequently prescribed medications. Accordingly, CYP2C19 genotyping can promote precise therapeutic decisions and avoid the occurrence of significant drug-drug-gene interactions in the clinical setting. A comprehensive examination of the role of the CYP2C19 gene in real-world medical settings is presented in this review. This review summarizes the most recent information on how genetic variants in CYP2C19 affect drug metabolism and therapeutic outcomes. It goes into the wide range of CYP2C19 phenotypes, with different degrees of metabolizing activity, and their implications for customized medication response through a review of the literature. The review also analyzes the clinical significance of CYP2C19 in several medical specialties, including cardiology, psychiatry, and gastro-enterology clinics, and illuminates how it affects pharmacological efficacy, safety, and adverse effects. Finally, CYP2C19-supported clinical decision-making is outlined, highlighting the possibility of improving therapeutic outcomes and achieving more affordable treatment options, a step towards optimizing healthcare provision through precision medicine.

Assessing the utility of measurement methods applied in economic evaluations of pharmacogenomics applications

An increasing number of economic evaluations are published annually investigating the economic effectiveness of pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing. This work was designed to provide a comprehensive summary of the available utility methods used in cost-effectiveness/cost-utility analysis studies of PGx interventions. A comprehensive review was conducted to identify economic analysis studies using a utility valuation method for PGx testing. A total of 82 studies met the inclusion criteria. A majority of studies were from the USA and used the EuroQol-5D questionnaire, as the utility valuation method. Cardiovascular disorders was the most studied therapeutic area while discrete-choice studies mainly focused on patients' willingness to undergo PGx testing. Future research in applying other methodologies in PGx economic evaluation studies would improve the current research environment and provide better results.

Cost-effectiveness of adding ezetimibe and/or PCSK9 inhibitors to high-dose statins for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults

OBJECTIVES

The latest international guideline recommended the add-on therapy of ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors in selected people for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, it remains unclear whether these regimens fit the Chinese healthcare system economically.

METHODS

Based on the Chinese context, this simulation study evaluated four therapeutic strategies including the high-dose statin-only group, ezetimibe plus statin group, PCSK9 inhibitors plus statin group, and PCSK9 inhibitors plus ezetimibe plus statin group. The team developed a Markov model to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). With each 1-yr cycle, the simulation subjects could have nonfatal cardiovascular events (stroke and/or myocardial infarction) or death (vascular or nonvascular death event) with a follow-up duration of 20 yr. Cardiovascular risk reduction was gathered from a network meta-analysis, and cost and utility data were gathered from hospital databases and published research.

RESULTS

For Chinese adults receiving high-dose statins for secondary prevention of CVDs, the ICER was US$68,910 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for adding PCSK9 inhibitors, US$20,242 per QALY for adding ezetimibe, US$51,552 per QALY for adding both drugs. Given a threshold of US$37,655 (three times of Chinese GDP), the probability of cost-effectiveness is 2.9 percent for adding PCSK9 inhibitors, 53.1 percent for adding ezetimibe, and 16.8 percent for adding both drugs. To meet the cost-effectiveness, an acquisition price reduction of PCSK9 inhibitors of 33.6 percent is necessary.

CONCLUSION

In Chinese adults receiving high-dose statins for the secondary prevention of CVDs, adding ezetimibe is cost-effective compared to adding PCSK9 inhibitors and adding both drugs.

Cost Effectiveness of Pharmacogenetic Testing for Drugs with Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guidelines: A Systematic Review

The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence on cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenetic (PGx)-guided treatment for drugs with Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines. A systematic review was conducted using multiple biomedical literature databases from inception to June 2021. Full articles comparing PGx-guided with nonguided treatment were included for data extraction. Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) was used to assess robustness of each study (0-100). Data are reported using descriptive statistics. Of 108 studies evaluating 39 drugs, 77 (71%) showed PGx testing was cost-effective (CE) (N = 48) or cost-saving (CS) (N = 29); 21 (20%) were not CE; 10 (9%) were uncertain. Clopidogrel had the most articles (N = 23), of which 22 demonstrated CE or CS, followed by warfarin (N = 16), of which 7 demonstrated CE or CS. Of 26 studies evaluating human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing for abacavir (N = 8), allopurinol (N = 10), or carbamazepine/phenytoin (N = 8), 15 demonstrated CE or CS. Nine of 11 antidepressant articles demonstrated CE or CS. The median QHES score reflected high-quality studies (91; range 48-100). Most studies evaluating cost-effectiveness favored PGx testing. Limited data exist on cost-effectiveness of preemptive and multigene testing across disease states.

A systematic review on the cost effectiveness of pharmacogenomics in developing countries: implementation challenges

The major challenges that delay the implementation of pharmacogenomics based clinical practice in the developing countries, primarily the low- and middle-income countries need to be recognized. This review was conducted to systematically review evidence of the cost-effectiveness for the conduct of pharmacogenomics testing in the developing countries. Studies that evaluated the cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomics testing in the developing countries as defined by the United Nations were included in this study. Twenty-seven articles met the criteria. Pharmacogenomics effectiveness were evaluated for drugs used in the treatment of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and severe cutaneous adverse reactions in gout and epilepsy. Most studies had reported pharmacogenomics testing to be cost-effective (cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and tuberculosis) and economic models were evaluated from multiple perspectives, different cost categories and time horizons. Additionally, most studies used a single gene, rather than a gene panel for the pharmacogenomics testing. Genotyping cost and frequency of risk alleles in the populations influence the cost-effectiveness outcome. Further studies are warranted to examine the clinical and economic validity of pharmacogenomics testing in the developing countries.

Cost-Effectiveness of Alirocumab for the Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events after Myocardial Infarction in the Chinese Setting

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab reduce ischemic events; however, the cost-effectiveness remains uncertain. This study sought to evaluate its economic value in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) from the Chinese healthcare perspective.

Methods: A state-transition Markov model was developed to determine the cost-effectiveness of alirocumab for preventing recurrent MI, ischemic stroke and death. Preventative effect of the therapy was gathered from ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial and absolute reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in ODYSSEY EAST trial, respectively. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), defined as incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained.

Results: Compared with statin monotherapy, the ICER of alirocumab therapy at its present discounted price [34,355 Chinese yuan (CNY) annually, 33% rebate] based on clinical follow-up efficacy was 1,613,997 CNY per QALY gained. A willingness-to-pay threshold of 212,676 CNY per QALY would be achieved when the annual cost of alirocumab was reduced by 88% from the full official price to 6071 CNY. The therapeutic effect evaluation estimated by the magnitude of LDL-C reduction was superior to the results of clinical follow-up, but this medication was still far from cost-effective. Multiple vulnerable subgroup analyses demonstrated that the ICER for patients with polyvascular disease in 3 vascular beds was 111,750 CNY per QALY gained.

Conclusion: Alirocumab is not cost-effective in general MI population based on current discounted price. High long-term costs of alirocumab may be offset by health benefit in patients with polyvascular disease (3 beds).

Cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19-guided antiplatelet therapy for acute coronary syndromes in Singapore

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a genotype-guided strategy among patients with acute coronary syndromes using a decision-tree model based on the Singapore healthcare payer's perspective over a 1-year time horizon. Three dual antiplatelet strategies were considered: universal clopidogrel, genotype-guided, and universal ticagrelor. The prevalence of loss-of-function alleles was assumed to be 61.7% and model inputs were identified from the literature. Our primary outcome of interest was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) compared to universal clopidogrel. Both genotype-guided (72,158 SGD/QALY) and universal ticagrelor (82,269 SGD/QALY) were considered cost-effective based on a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of SGD 88,991. In our secondary analysis, the ICER for universal ticagrelor was 114,998 SGD/QALY when genotype-guided was taken as a reference. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed that genotype-guided was the most cost-effective strategy when the WTP threshold was between SGD 70,000 to 100,000. Until more data are available, our study suggests that funding for a once-off CYP2C19 testing merits a consideration over 1 year of universal ticagrelor.

Cost-Effectiveness of Evolocumab Therapy for Myocardial Infarction: The Chinese Healthcare Perspective

PURPOSE

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are an indispensable lipid-lowering treatment option, but their cost-effectiveness has been questioned. This study aimed to perform a health economic evaluation of evolocumab versus placebo in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in China.

METHODS

A Markov cohort state-transition model was developed in decision analysis software to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), defined as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved. The simulation subjects could undergo non-fatal MI and/or stroke, or vascular or non-vascular death event. We integrated the Chinese population-specific demographics and event rates with the risk reduction of evolocumab based on the FOURIER trial and/or lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Age-related change, event costs and utilities were included from published sources.

RESULTS

At its current list price [33,748 Chinese yuan (CNY) annually per person], the ICER for evolocumab therapy was 927,713 CNY per QALY gained when integrating the FOURIER trial with absolute reduction of LDL-C. The probability of cost-effectiveness of evolocumab versus placebo was 1.96%, with a generally accepted threshold of 212,676 CNY per QALY gained. A reduction in acquisition price by approximately 70% (to less than 10,255 CNY annually) was needed to be cost-effective. Alternative scenario analyses of therapeutic benefit showed that the ICER for evolocumab in MI patients with uncontrolled familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) was 187,736 CNY per QALY gained.

CONCLUSION

Evolocumab in patients with MI was not cost-effective based on the price in 2019 in China; however, treatment with evolocumab was more favorable in MI patients with FH.