Clinical Outcomes in Patients Receiving Originator Follitropin Alfa and Follitropin Alfa Biosimilars in Real-world Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Study

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Gonadotropins Used for Ovarian Stimulation during Assisted Reproductive Technology Based on Data from the French Nationwide Claims Database (SNDS)

OBJECTIVE

Various gonadotropins are used for ovarian stimulation (OS). This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of different gonadotropins based on real-world data from the French National Health Database (SNDS) over a 7-year follow-up of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments.

DESIGN

Cost-effectiveness analysis of different gonadotropins based on real-world data from the SNDS was conducted.

PARTICIPANTS

Women from SNDS undergoing OS leading to oocyte pick-up registered between January 31, 2013, and December 31, 2018 (N = 245,534 stimulations), and receiving either recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH alfa originator; 110,439), its biosimilars (12,287), or urinaries (mainly highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin [HP-hMG; 65,654] and marginally highly purified urinary-human follicle stimulating hormone [7,821]) were included (follow-up: December 31, 2019).

SETTINGS AND METHODS

Clinical inputs for this model, including live birth (LB) and cumulative LB (CLB) were calculated from data as published in [Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;88:102308]. A decision-tree model was developed comprising pregnancy and live birth rate (LBR) states for a complete ART cycle, including one fresh and ≤4 frozen/thawed embryo transfers and related costs. Cost inputs included those of drugs, ART procedure, pregnancy and delivery, and adverse events. Cost per LB and CLB and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were assessed. Robustness of results was determined by comprehensive sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Overall, r-hFSH alfa originator was found to be associated with a lower cost per LB and per CLB (cost per LB: EUR 26,010; CLB: EUR 22,278) versus its biosimilars (cost per LB: EUR 28,037; CLB: EUR 23,807) and versus urinaries (cost per LB: EUR 26,636; CLB: EUR 23,335). Calculated ICERs with r-hFSH alfa for LB were EUR 5,538 and EUR 14,090, whereas for CLB were EUR 1,945 and EUR 13,742 versus biosimilars and urinaries, respectively. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curve showed that in a majority of iterations, r-hFSH alfa originator had a probability of being cost-effective at a hypothetical threshold of EUR 20,000/LB. Sensitivity analyses showed that the most important variable impacting the outcome in fresh transfers was the probability of birth for biosimilars and the probability of pregnancy for urinaries, while for cumulative transfers, it was the probability of pregnancy for biosimilars and the probability of birth for urinaries.

LIMITATIONS

As the clinical data were obtained from a non-interventional study and not a randomized controlled trial, the results may still be susceptible to residual confounding or other biases.

CONCLUSIONS

r-hFSH alfa originator is cost-effective compared to its biosimilars and to urinaries (mainly HP-hMG) and is associated with a lower cost per LB compared to these gonadotropins, where the main driver is the higher LB efficacy rate achieved with it.

Clinical outcomes of three follitropin alfa preparations for ovarian stimulation using an oral micronized progesterone-primed protocol in an oocyte donation program

Introduction

This large multicenter study aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes using three follitropin alfa preparations within a progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocol, while identifying contributing factors to cycle success.

Methods

A retrospective, anonymized cohort analysis was conducted on donor-recipient cycles from 12 clinics during 2019 to 2021. 7389 oocyte donors underwent ovarian stimulation (OS) with three follitropin alfa preparations (Ovaleap® [n=3231], Bemfola® [n=3542], Gonal-F® [n=616]) were included. Stimulation began on cycle days 2 or 3 with daily administration of 150-225 IU follitropin alfa. 10 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) was administered daily until GnRH agonist trigger using a single dose of 0.2mg GnRH agonist for final follicular maturation. Statistical analysis included ANOVA, Chi-squared, and logistic regression.

Results

Whilst there were some differences in patient and stimulation characteristics, including donor age and number of retrieved oocytes, clinical variables did not significantly differ among the three study groups. Linear regression revealed donor age [0.986 (0.974-0.999)] and number of mature oocytes [1.027 (1.007-1.047)] significantly impacted ongoing pregnancy rates, while the type of follitropin alfa [1.048 (0.956-1.149)] used did not. No significant differences were observed in the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) among oocytes obtained from stimulation with Bemfola (64.9%), Gonal-F (64.1%) and Ovaleap (66.1%), p= 0.385.

Discussion

This study demonstrated comparable clinical outcomes and CLBR between biosimilars and the reference product of follitropin alfa within PPOS protocols, hence they are interchangeable in a real-world patient setting.

Erratum: Clinical Outcomes in Patients Receiving Originator Follitropin Alfa and Follitropin Alfa Biosimilars in Real-world Clinical Practice: A Retrospective Study

[This corrects the article on p. 148 in vol. 16, PMID: 37547084.].