Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents for Occupational Hepatitis C Infections in Germany

Melanie Runge, Magdalene Krensel, Claudia Westermann, Dominik Bindl, Klaus Nagels, Matthias Augustin and Albert Nienhaus
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Melanie Runge: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research for Healthcare Professionals (CVcare), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Magdalene Krensel: Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Claudia Westermann: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research for Healthcare Professionals (CVcare), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Dominik Bindl: Chair of Healthcare Management and Health Services Research, University of Bayreuth, 95445 Bayreuth, Germany
Klaus Nagels: Chair of Healthcare Management and Health Services Research, University of Bayreuth, 95445 Bayreuth, Germany
Matthias Augustin: Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Albert Nienhaus: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research for Healthcare Professionals (CVcare), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Around 1% of the world’s population is infected with hepatitis C. The introduction of new direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in 2014 has substantially improved hepatitis C treatment outcomes. Our objective was to evaluate the long-term cost effectiveness of DAAs in health care personnel (HP) with confirmed occupational diseases in Germany. A standardised database from a German statutory accident insurance was used to analyse the cost-effectiveness ratio for the DAA regimen in comparison with interferon-based triple therapies. Taking account of the clinical progression of the disease, a Markov model was applied to perform a base case analysis for a period of 20 years. The robustness of the results was determined using a univariate deterministic sensitivity analysis. The results show that treatment with DAAs is more expensive, but also more effective than triple therapies. The model also revealed that the loss of 3.23 life years can be averted per patient over the 20 years. Compared to triple therapies, DAA treatment leads to a higher sustained virologic response (SVR). Although this results in a decrease of costs in the long term, e.g., pension payments, DAA therapy will cause greater expense in the future due to the high costs of the drugs.

Keywords: hepatitis C; cost-effectiveness analysis; interferon-free therapies; direct-acting antiviral agents; occupational disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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