A cost-utility analysis of cinacalcet in secondary hyperparathyroidism in five European countries

Cost-effectiveness analysis of cinacalcet for haemodialysis patients with moderate-to-severe secondary hyperparathyroidism in China: evaluation based on the EVOLVE trial

OBJECTIVE

As the cost-effectiveness evaluation of cinacalcet and conventional therapy in China has not been reported, the objective of this study was to make a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of cinacalcet specific to the Chinese healthcare setting in patients with moderate-to-severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) undergoing dialysis.

DESIGNS

Data from Evaluation of Cinacalcet Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events trial were used for this analysis. A semi-Markov model was constructed to estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and lifetime costs in cinacalcet plus conventional therapy (cinacalcet strategy) compared with conventional therapy (standard strategy), in patients with moderate-to-severe SHPT undergoing dialysis. Treatment effect estimates from the unadjusted intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis and covariate-adjusted ITT analysis were used as the main analyses. Model sensitivity to variations in individual inputs and overall decision uncertainty were assessed through probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as measured by cost per QALY gained.

RESULTS

The ICER for cinacalcet strategy was US$44 400 per QALY gained using the covariate-adjusted ITT analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested a 46.2% chance of the ICER being below a willingness-to-pay threshold of US$26 508. Treatment effects from unadjusted ITT analysis yielded an ICER of US$87 210 per QALY. The model was most sensitive to the treatment effect on mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing evidence does not support the cost-effectiveness of cinacalcet strategy in patients with moderate-to-severe SHPT undergoing dialysis when applying a willingness-to-pay threshold of US$26 508 per QALY, whether it is using the treatment effect from covariate-adjusted ITT analysis or unadjusted ITT analysis.

A Decision-Analytic Model to Assess the Cost-Effectiveness of Etelcalcetide vs. Cinacalcet

INTRODUCTION

Etelcalcetide is a novel intravenous calcimimetic for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in haemodialysis patients. The clinical efficacy and safety of etelcalcetide (in addition to phosphate binders and vitamin D and/or analogues [PB/VD]) was evaluated in three phase III studies, including two placebo-controlled trials and a head-to-head study versus the oral calcimimetic cinacalcet.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop a decision-analytic model for economic evaluation of etelcalcetide compared with cinacalcet.

METHODS

We developed a life-time Markov model including potential treatment effects on mortality, cardiovascular events, fractures, and subjects' persistence. Long-term efficacy of etelcalcetide was extrapolated from the reduction in parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the phase III trials and the available data from the outcomes study in cinacalcet (EVOLVE trial). Etelcalcetide was compared with cinacalcet, both in addition to PB/VD. We applied unit costs averaged from five European countries and a range of potential etelcalcetide pricing options assuming parity price to weekly use of cinacalcet and varying it by a 15 or 30% increase.

RESULTS

Compared with cinacalcet, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of etelcalcetide was €1,355 per QALY, €24,521 per QALY, and €47,687 per QALY for the three prices explored. The results were robust across the probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Our modelling approach enabled cost-utility assessment of the novel therapy for SHPT based on the observed and extrapolated data. This model can be used for local adaptations in the context of reimbursement assessment.

The Value of the Model and Quantitative Parameters of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Judging the Severity of SHPT

Using the model and quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to assess the severity of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) was proposed. 42 SHPT patients who underwent CEUS examination were divided into three groups, light, moderate, and heavy as per parathyroid hormone (PTH). The process of CEUS was divided into two phases, wash-in phase and wash-out phase. The three groups were analyzed with their enhancing model in the two phases. The quantitative parameters of CEUS such as Arrival Time (AT), Time to Peak (TTP), Mean Transit Time (MTT), and Maximum Intensity (IMAX) were measured by time-intensity curve (TIC) and compared among the three groups. The enhancing model of light SHPT, moderate SHPT, and heavy SHPT showed statistical significance in wash-in phase and wash-out phase (P < 0.05). No difference was observed in AT and TTP among the three groups (P > 0.05) while MTT and IMAX showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). The CEUS of light SHPT was characterized by "slow-in, fast-out, and lower-enhancement" with short enhancement time; the CEUS of moderate SHPT was characterized by "fast-in, fast-out, and higher-enhancement" with slightly long enhancement time; the CEUS of heavy SHPT was characterized by "fast-in, slow-out, and higher-enhancement" with long enhancement time. Therefore, the model and quantitative parameters of CEUS can be benefit for the assessment of the severity of SHPT.

Pharmacogenetic analysis of cinacalcet response in secondary hyperparathyroidism patients

Background

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is one of the major risk factors of morbidity and mortality in end-stage renal disease. Cinacalcet effectively controls SHPT without causing hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. However, there is significant inter-individual response variance to cinacalcet treatment. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the genetic effects related with parathyroid hormone regulation as factors for cinacalcet response variance.

Methods

Patients with a diagnosis of SHPT based on intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) >300 pg/mL on dialysis were included in this study. They were over 18 years and have been treated by cinacalcet for more than 3 months. Responders and nonresponders were grouped by the serum iPTH changes. Twenty-four single nucleotide polymorphisms of CASR, VDR, FGFR1, KL, ALPL, RGS14, NR4A2, and PTHLH genes were selected for the pharmacogenetic analysis.

Results

After adjusting for age, sex, and calcium level, CASR rs1042636 (odds ratio [OR]: 0.066, P=0.027) and rs1802757 (OR: 10.532, P=0.042) were associated with cinacalcet response. The association of haplotypes of CASR rs1042636, rs10190, and rs1802757; GCC (OR: 0.355, P=0.015); and ATT (OR: 2.769, P=0.014) with cinacalcet response was also significant.

Conclusion

We obtained supporting information of the associations between cinacalcet response and CASR polymorphisms. CASR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs1802757, rs1042636, and haplotypes of rs1042636, rs10190, and rs1802757 were significantly associated with cinacalcet response variance.

The Significance of Ultrasound in Determining Whether SHPT Patients Are Sensitive to Calcitriol Treatment

This study was to explore the significance of ultrasound in determining whether the patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) are sensitive to calcitriol treatment. According to the decrease value of parathyroid hormone (PTH), 42 SHPT patients were divided into two groups: drug susceptible group and drug insusceptible group. These 42 SHPT patients' ultrasound images were retrospectively analyzed. The morphology, size, number, blood flow, elastic modulus, and perfusion of the parathyroid glands were correlated with drug therapeutic outcome (oral calcitriol). Most SHPT patients with drug susceptible showed volume <438.50 mm³ and number ≤2, with 0-1 structural and vascular patterns, associated with Relative Maximum Intensity (RIMAX) <1.59 and elastic modulus <18.8 kPa, whereas most SHPT patients with drug insusceptible showed volume ≥438.50 mm³ and number ≥3, with 2-3 structural and vascular patterns, associated with Relative Maximum Intensity (RIMAX) ≥1.59 and elastic modulus ≥18.8 kPa. Therefore, ultrasonography in SHPT allows an accurate definition of the morphology, size, number, blood flow, elastic modulus, and perfusion of the parathyroid glands and is useful in determining whether SHPT patients are sensitive to calcitriol treatment.

Economic Evaluation of Cinacalcet in the United States: The EVOLVE Trial

BACKGROUND

Previous economic evaluations of cinacalcet in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) relied on the combination of surrogate end points in clinical trials and epidemiologic studies.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to conduct an economic evaluation of cinacalcet on the basis of the EValuation Of Cinacalcet HCl Therapy to Lower CardioVascular Events (EVOLVE) trial from a US payer perspective.

METHODS

We developed a semi-Markov model to assess the cost-effectiveness of cinacalcet in addition to conventional therapy, compared with conventional therapy alone, in patients with moderate-to-severe sHPT receiving hemodialysis. We used treatment effect estimates from the unadjusted intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis and prespecified covariate-adjusted ITT analysis as our main analyses. We assessed model sensitivity to variations in individual inputs and overall decision uncertainty through probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for cinacalcet was $61,705 per life-year and $79,562 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained using the covariate-adjusted ITT analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested a 73.2% chance of the ICER being below a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000. Treatment effects from unadjusted ITT analysis yielded an ICER of $115,876 per QALY. The model was most sensitive to the treatment effect on mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In the unadjusted ITT analysis, cinacalcet does not represent a cost- effective use of health care resources when applying a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY. When using the covariate-adjusted ITT treatment effect, which represents the least biased estimate, however, cinacalcet is a cost-effective therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe sHPT on hemodialysis.

Health state utilities associated with major clinical events in the context of secondary hyperparathyroidism and chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) who require dialysis are at increased risk for cardiovascular events and bone fractures. To assist in economic evaluations, this study aimed to estimate the disutility of these events beyond the impact of CKD and SHPT.

METHODS

A basic one-year health state was developed describing CKD and SHPT requiring dialysis. Further health states added acute events (cardiovascular events, fractures, and surgical procedures) or chronic post-event effects. Acute health states described a year including an event, and chronic health states described a year subsequent to an event. General population participants in Canada completed time trade-off interviews from which utilities were derived. Pairwise comparisons were made between the basic state and event, and between comparable health states.

RESULTS

A total of 199 participants (54.8% female; mean age = 46.3 years) completed interviews. Each health state had ≥130 valuations. The mean (SD) utility of the basic health state was 0.60 (0.34). For acute events, mean utility differences versus the basic state were: myocardial infarction, -0.06; unstable angina, -0.05; peripheral vascular disease (PVD) with amputation, -0.33; PVD without amputation, -0.11; heart failure, -0.14; stroke, -0.30; hip fracture, -0.14; arm fracture, -0.04; parathyroidectomy, +0.02; kidney transplant, +0.06. Disutilities for chronic health states were: stable angina, -0.09; stroke, -0.27; PVD with amputation, -0.30; PVD without amputation, -0.12; heart failure, -0.14.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiovascular events and fractures were associated with lower utility scores, suggesting a perceived decrease in quality of life beyond the impact of CKD and SHPT.

The cost-effectiveness of drug therapies to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in renal failure: a focus on evidence regarding paricalcitol and cinacalcet

The present review aims to assess the state-of-the-art regarding cost-effectiveness of therapy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in order to identify the best treatment and review methodological issues. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify papers performing comparative analysis of costs and effects of treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients. Among the 66 papers identified, only 10 were included in the analysis. Treatment strategies evaluated in the selected papers were: cinacalcet in addition to vitamin D and phosphate binders versus vitamin D and phosphate binders only (seven papers), paricalcitol versus non-selective vitamin D (two papers), early and late introduction of cinacalcet in addition to vitamin D and phosphate binders (one paper) and paricalcitol versus cinacalcet (one paper). The high degree of heterogeneity among alternative treatments and methodological limits related to cost items considered, resource valuation methods and so on, make it unfeasible to reach a definite conclusion regarding cost-effectiveness but allow for future research opportunities.

Total parathyroidectomy with trace amounts of parathyroid tissue autotransplantation as the treatment of choice for secondary hyperparathyroidism: a single-center experience

Background

The aim of the study was to evaluate total parathyroidectomy with trace amounts of parathyroid tissue (30 mg) as a surgical option in secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) treatment.

Methods

From January 2008 to March 2012, 47 patients underwent parathyroidectomy. Comparisons of demographic data, symptoms, and preoperative or postoperative biochemistry were made between total parathyroidectomy with trace amounts of parathyroid tissue autotransplantation group and total parathyroidectomy group.

Results

Out of 47 cases, 45 had successful operation. 187 parathyroid glands identified at the initial operation were reported in 47 patients. 43 patients had been diagnosed with parathyroid hyperplasia, and 4 patients had a benign adenoma. After operation, pruritus, bone pain and muscle weakness disappeared, also serum PTH and serum phosphate were declined markedly as well. After discharge, two patients (in total parathyroidectomy group) were readmitted because of postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Graft-dependent recurrence was not observed in an average follow-up of 42 months.

Conclusions

Total parathyroidectomy with sternocleidomastoid muscle trace amounts of parathyroid tissue autotransplantation is considered to be a feasible, safe and effective surgical option for the patients with sHPT.