Background and study aims: The treatment of patients with moderate chronic hepatitis C and persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels is still under discussion and the cost-effectiveness of such strategy is unknown. The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of their treatment in comparison with no treatment.
Patients and methods: The assessed treatment is composed of pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin, which is the current standard treatment. Two groups were studied: patients with genotype 1 and patients with genotypes 2-3. At the beginning of the study, patients were aged of 45. Long-term economic and clinical outcomes over a 30 year period were predicted using a Markov simulation model. A health care payer perspective was chosen. Data were obtained from published literature. Variations of uncertainty parameters were assessed through a sensitivity analysis.
Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were Euro 5,338/QALY for genotype 1 and Euro 1,080/QALY for genotypes 2-3. In the sensitivity analysis, ratios remained lower than Euro 20,000. A Monte Carlo simulation with 1,000 iterations gives a 95% confidence interval for the ICER of Euro 3,199 to Euro 8,972 for genotype 1 and Euro 56 to Euro 1,981 for genotypes 2-3.
Conclusion: Even though the treatment of these patients generates a cost, it has the advantage that in comparison with no treatment, a great number of people are cured, complications are less frequent and patients gain more quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), which involves an ICER considered as acceptable for the European society (< Euro 20,000).