Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: The Value of Information From More Clinical Trials
2022
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated time-sensitive policy and implementation decisions regarding new therapies in the face of uncertainty. This study aimed to quantify consequences of approving therapies or pursuing further research.
The authors used a cohort state-transition model for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs associated with multiple drug regimens and usual care. For each they assessed immediate approval, use only in research, emergency use authorization or reject. They conducted cost-effectiveness and value of information analyses from a U.S. healthcare perspective and a lifetime horizon.
Assuming a $100,000-per-QALY willingness-to-pay threshold, only remdesivir, casirivimab-imdevimab, dexamethasone, baricitinib-remdesivir, and tocilizumab were (cost-) effective (incremental net health benefit ranged from 0.164 to 0.668 QALYs and incremental net monetary benefit ranged from $16 375 to $66 826). The value of information analyses suggested that the most value could be obtained if these 5 therapies were approved for immediate use rather than requiring additional randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: The Value of Information From More Clinical Trials
Source:
Dijk SW, Krijkamp EM, Kunst N, Gross CP, Wong JB, Hunink MGM. Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: The Value of Information From More Clinical Trials. Value in Health 2022; 25 (8): 1268-1280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2022.03.016