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Gordon LG, Elliott TM, Bennett C, Hollway G, Waddell N, Vadlamudi L. Early cost-utility analysis of genetically guided therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsia 2022; 63:3111-3121. [PMID: 36082520 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Existing gene panels were developed to understand the etiology of epilepsy, and further benefits will arise from an effective pharmacogenomics panel for personalizing therapy and achieving seizure control. Our study assessed the cost-effectiveness of a pharmacogenomics panel for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, compared with usual care. METHODS A cost-utility analysis was employed using a discrete event simulation model. The microsimulation model aggregated the costs and benefits of genetically guided treatment versus usual care for 5000 simulated patients. The 10-year model combined data from various sources including genomic databases on prevalence of variants, population-level pharmaceutical claims on antiseizure medications, published long-term therapy retention rates, patient-level cost data, and systematic reviews. Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained was computed. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken to address uncertainty in model parameters. RESULTS The mean cost of the genetically guided treatment option was AU$98 199 compared with AU$95 386 for usual care. Corresponding mean QALYs were 4.67 compared with 4.28 for genetically guided and usual care strategies, respectively. The incremental cost per QALY gained was AU$7381. In probabilistic sensitivity analyses, the incremental cost per QALY gained was AU$6321 (95% uncertainty interval = AU$3604-AU$9621), with a 100% likelihood of being cost-effective in the Australian health care system. The most influential drivers of the findings were the monthly health care costs associated with reduced seizures, costs when seizures continued, and the quality-of-life estimates under genetically guided and usual care strategies. SIGNIFICANCE This early economic evaluation of a pharmacogenomics panel to guide treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy could potentially be cost-effective in the Australian health care system. Clinical trial evidence is necessary to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa G Gordon
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,School of Nursing and Cancer and Palliative Care Outcomes Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas M Elliott
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carmen Bennett
- University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Georgina Hollway
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,genomiQa, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicola Waddell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,genomiQa, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lata Vadlamudi
- University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Berthoud HR, Neuhuber WL. Vagal mechanisms as neuromodulatory targets for the treatment of metabolic disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2019; 1454:42-55. [PMID: 31268181 PMCID: PMC6810744 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
With few effective treatments available, the global rise of metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, seems unstoppable. Likely caused by an obesogenic environment interacting with genetic susceptibility, the pathophysiology of obesity and metabolic diseases is highly complex and involves crosstalk between many organs and systems, including the brain. The vagus nerve is in a key position to bidirectionally link several peripheral metabolic organs with the brain and is increasingly targeted for neuromodulation therapy to treat metabolic disease. Here, we review the basics of vagal functional anatomy and its implications for vagal neuromodulation therapies. We find that most existing vagal neuromodulation techniques either ignore or misinterpret the rich functional specificity of both vagal efferents and afferents as demonstrated by a large body of literature. This lack of specificity of manipulating vagal fibers is likely the reason for the relatively poor beneficial long‐term effects of such therapies. For these therapies to become more effective, rigorous validation of all physiological endpoints and optimization of stimulation parameters as well as electrode placements will be necessary. However, given the large number of function‐specific fibers in any vagal branch, genetically guided neuromodulation techniques are more likely to succeed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Rudolf Berthoud
- Neurobiology of Nutrition and Metabolism Department, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
| | - Winfried L Neuhuber
- Institut fur Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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