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Basto-Abreu A, Torres-Alvarez R, Barrientos-Gutierrez T, Pereda P, Duran AC. Estimated reduction in obesity prevalence and costs of a 20% and 30% ad valorem excise tax to sugar-sweetened beverages in Brazil: A modeling study. PLoS Med 2024; 21:e1004399. [PMID: 39018346 PMCID: PMC11253955 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with obesity, metabolic diseases, and incremental healthcare costs. Given their health consequences, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries implement taxes on SSB. Over the last 10 years, obesity prevalence has almost doubled in Brazil, yet, in 2016, the Brazilian government cut the existing federal SSB taxes to their current 4%. Since 2022, a bill to impose a 20% tax on SSB has been under discussion in the Brazilian Senate. To simulate the potential impact of increasing taxes on SSB in Brazil, we aimed to estimate the price-elasticity of SSB and the potential impact of a new 20% or 30% excise SSB tax on consumption, obesity prevalence, and cost savings. METHODS AND FINDINGS Using household purchases data from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (POF) from 2017/2018, we estimated constant elasticity regressions. We used a log-log specification by income level for all beverage categories: (1) sugar-sweetened beverages; (2) alcoholic beverages; (3) unsweetened beverages; and (4) low-calorie or artificially sweetened beverages. We estimated the adult nationwide baseline intake for each beverage category using 24-h dietary recall data collected in 2017/2018. Taking group one as the taxed beverages, we applied the price and cross-price elasticities to the baseline intake data, we obtained changes in caloric intake. The caloric reduction was introduced into an individual dynamic model to estimate changes in weight and obesity prevalence. No benefits on cost savings were modeled during the first 3 years of intervention to account for the time lag in obesity cases to reduce costs. We multiplied the reduction in obesity cases during 7 years by the obesity costs per capita to predict the costs savings attributable to the sweetened beverage tax. SSB price elasticities were higher among the lowest tertile of income (-1.24) than in the highest income tertile (-1.13), and cross-price elasticities suggest SSB were weakly substituted by milk, water, and 100% fruit juices. We estimated a caloric change of -17.3 kcal/day/person under a 20% excise tax and -25.9 kcal/day/person under a 30% tax. Ten years after implementation, a 20% tax is expected to reduce obesity prevalence by 6.7%; 9.1% for a 30% tax. These reductions translate into a -2.8 million and -3.8 million obesity cases for a 20% and 30% tax, respectively, and a reduction of $US 13.3 billion and $US 17.9 billion in obesity costs over 10 years for a 20% and 30% tax, respectively. Study limitations include using a quantile distribution method to adjust self-reported baseline weight and height, which could be insufficient to correct for reporting bias; also, weight, height, and physical activity were assumed to be steady over time. CONCLUSIONS Adding a 20% to 30% excise tax on top of Brazil's current federal tax could help to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed beverages, empty calories, and body weight while avoiding large health-related costs. Given the recent cuts to SSB taxes in Brazil, a program to revise and implement excise taxes could prove beneficial for the Brazilian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Basto-Abreu
- Center for Population Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Rossana Torres-Alvarez
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Paula Pereda
- Department of Economics, School of Economics and Business, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Epidemiological Studies in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara Duran
- Center for Food Studies and Research, University of Campinas; Center for Epidemiological Studies in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Ten Ham RMT, Rohaan MW, Jedema I, Kessels R, Stegeman W, Scheepmaker W, Nuijen B, Nijenhuis C, Lindenberg M, Borch TH, Monberg T, Donia M, Marie Svane I, van Harten W, Haanen J, Retel VP. Cost-effectiveness of treating advanced melanoma with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes based on an international randomized phase 3 clinical trial. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008372. [PMID: 38531663 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In a multicenter, open-label randomized phase 3 clinical trial conducted in the Netherlands and Denmark, treatment with ex vivo-expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL-NKI/CCIT) from autologous melanoma tumor compared with ipilimumab improved progression-free survival in patients with unresectable stage IIIC-IV melanoma after failure of first-line or second-line treatment. Based on this trial, we conducted a cost-utility analysis. METHODS A Markov decision model was constructed to estimate expected costs (expressed in 2021€) and outcomes (quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)) of TIL-NKI/CCIT versus ipilimumab in the Netherlands. The Danish setting was assessed in a scenario analysis. A modified societal perspective was applied over a lifetime horizon. TIL-NKI/CCIT production costs were estimated via activity-based costing. Through sensitivity analyses, uncertainties and their impact on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were assessed. RESULTS Mean total undiscounted lifetime benefits were 4.47 life years (LYs) and 3.52 QALYs for TIL-NKI/CCIT and 3.33 LYs and 2.46 QALYs for ipilimumab. Total lifetime undiscounted costs in the Netherlands were €347,168 for TIL-NKI/CCIT (including €67,547 for production costs) compared with €433,634 for ipilimumab. Undiscounted lifetime cost in the Danish scenario were €337,309 and €436,135, respectively. This resulted in a dominant situation for TIL-NKI/CCIT compared with ipilimumab in both countries, meaning incremental QALYs were gained at lower costs. Survival probabilities, and utility in progressive disease affected the ICER most. CONCLUSION Based on the data of a randomized phase 3 trial, treatment with TIL-NKI/CCIT in patients with unresectable stage IIIC-IV melanoma is cost-effective and cost-saving, both in the current Dutch and Danish setting. These findings led to inclusion of TIL-NKI/CCIT as insured care and treatment guidelines. Publicly funded development of the TIL-NKI/CCIT cell therapy shows realistic promise to further explore development of effective personalized treatment while warranting economic sustainability of healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renske M T Ten Ham
- Department of Epidemiology & Health Economics, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maartje W Rohaan
- Division of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Inge Jedema
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Kessels
- Department of Biometrics, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Stegeman
- Department of Biometrics, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Walter Scheepmaker
- Financial Department, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Nuijen
- Division of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Nijenhuis
- Biotherapeutics Unit, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Melanie Lindenberg
- Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Troels Holz Borch
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Tine Monberg
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marco Donia
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Wim van Harten
- Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Health Technology and Services Research, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - John Haanen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Valesca P Retel
- Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Lathe J, Silverwood RJ, Hughes AD, Patalay P. Examining how well economic evaluations capture the value of mental health. Lancet Psychiatry 2024; 11:221-230. [PMID: 38281493 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(23)00436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Health economics evidence informs health-care decision making, but the field has historically paid insufficient attention to mental health. Economic evaluations in health should define an appropriate scope for benefits and costs and how to value them. This Health Policy provides an overview of these processes and considers to what extent they capture the value of mental health. We suggest that although current practices are both transparent and justifiable, they have distinct limitations from the perspective of mental health. Most social value judgements, such as the exclusion of interindividual outcomes and intersectoral costs, diminish the value of improving mental health, and this reduction in value might be disproportionate compared with other types of health. Economic analyses might have disadvantaged interventions that improve mental health compared with physical health, but research is required to test the size of such differential effects and any subsequent effect on decision-making systems such as health technology assessment systems. Collaboration between health economics and the mental health sciences is crucial for achieving mental-physical health parity in evaluative frameworks and, ultimately, improving population mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lathe
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Richard J Silverwood
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Social Research Institute, Institute of Education, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alun D Hughes
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Science and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Social Research Institute, Institute of Education, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London, UK
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Geisler BP, Cao KN, Ryschon AM, Alavi K, Komen N, Pietzsch JB. Cost associated with diverting ostomy after rectal cancer surgery: a transnational analysis. Surg Endosc 2023; 37:7759-7766. [PMID: 37580581 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-023-10300-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diverting ileostomy and colostomy after total mesorectal excision reduces the risk of complications related to anastomotic leakages but is associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life and long-term economic consequences that are unknown. Our objective was to estimate the lifetime costs of stoma placement after rectal cancer resection in the U.S., England, and Germany. METHODS Input parameters were derived from quasi-systematic literature searches. Decision-analytic models with survival from colorectal cancer-adjusted life tables and country-specific stoma reversal proportions were created for the three countries to calculate lifetime costs. Main cost items were stoma maintenance costs and reimbursement for reversal procedures. Discounting was applied according to respective national guidelines. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the impact of parameter uncertainty onto the results. RESULTS The cohort starting ages and median survival were 63 and 11.5 years for the U.S., 69 years and 8.5 years for England, and 71 and 6.5 years for Germany. Lifetime discounted stoma-related costs were $26,311, £9512, and €10,021, respectively. All three models were most sensitive to the proportion of ostomy reversal, age at baseline, and discount rate applied. CONCLUSION Conservative model-based projections suggest that stoma care leads to significant long-term costs. Efforts to reduce the number of patients who need to undergo a diverting ostomy could result in meaningful cost savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Geisler
- Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Wing Tech Inc., 101 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Khoa N Cao
- Wing Tech Inc., 101 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Anne M Ryschon
- Wing Tech Inc., 101 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Karim Alavi
- Department of Surgery/Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, UMass Memorial Health/UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Niels Komen
- Department Abdominal Surgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen/ReSURG, Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jan B Pietzsch
- Wing Tech Inc., 101 Jefferson Drive, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
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