Cost-effectiveness of early empagliflozin initiation after acute myocardial infarction: a German statutory health insurance perspective

Priyanka Boettger, Eleni Nakou, Thomas Kinsley, Michael Buerke, Eva Maria Wild and Samuel Sossalla

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Background and objective: Empagliflozin reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalizations after acute myocardial infarction (MI) in EMPACT-MI without a mortality benefit. We assessed whether HF morbidity prevention generates long-term economic value from the German statutory health insurance perspective. Methods: We developed a monthly cohort Markov model over a lifetime horizon comparing early empagliflozin plus standard care with standard care in post-MI patients at increased HF risk. The base case applied the EMPACT-MI hazard ratio of 0.77 for first HF hospitalization, assumed no direct mortality benefit, and modelled 24 months of treatment. Costs were in 2026 euros. The primary analysis covered 17.9 months; exploratory lifetime outcomes included quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: Early empagliflozin gained 0.0315 QALYs at €1,418 incremental cost (ICER €45,100/QALY) and avoided 52.0 lifetime HF hospitalizations per 1000 patients. The probability of cost-effectiveness was 16.2%, 55.2%, and 79.7% at €30,000, €50,000, and €80,000/QALY, respectively. Price reductions of 25% and 50% lowered the ICER to €32,300/QALY and €19,500/QALY. The maximum annual price compatible with €30,000/QALY was €607. Results were most sensitive to the HF hospitalization effect, drug price, and baseline HF risk. A trial-anchored analysis using the EMPACT-MI placebo event and mortality rates yielded a similar ICER (€47,200/QALY). Conclusions: Early empagliflozin generated modest projected QALY gains, predominantly through modelled indirect survival gains, at higher lifetime costs.Economic value was conditional, depending on willingness-to-pay, net price, and absolute HF risk, with the most favorable profile at lower net prices and in HF-risk-enriched patients.

JEL-codes: J1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages
Date: 2026-10-05
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 5, October, 2026, 24(1). ISSN: 1478-7547

Downloads: (external link)
https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/141384/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:141384

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library LSE Library Portugal Street London, WC2A 2HD, U.K.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by LSERO Manager ().