Cost-Effectiveness of a High-Concentration (179 mg) Capsaicin Patch for the Treatment of Patients with Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in Scotland
摘要
Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) is a chronic condition often inadequately controlled by oral pharmacologic treatments. High-concentration capsaicin patch (HCCP) is a topical neurolytic treatment for PNP. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of HCCP as an add-on to standard of care (SoC) in patients with PNP in Scotland.
MethodsA cost-utility analysis was conducted using a Markov model with 3-month cycles and a lifetime horizon to determine the cost-effectiveness of HCCP added-on to SoC compared to SoC alone, in adult patients with PNP. The model included five health states (no pain, mild, moderate, severe pain, and death) and was developed according to Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) guidance from a National Health Service (NHS) Scotland perspective. Clinical inputs were derived from HCCP trials (e.g., PACE), and health-related quality of life was based on EQ-5D values from HCCP trials. Analyses were conducted for an adult PNP population, and diabetic and non-diabetic etiologies. Costs included drug acquisition, administration, drug and disease monitoring, adverse events, and—in a scenario analysis—societal costs.
ResultsFor the adult PNP population, HCCP + SoC resulted in an incremental gain of 1.00 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) at an additional cost of £13,479, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £13,516 per QALY. ICERs for specific etiologies were £11,383 for non-diabetic and £16,442 for diabetic PNP populations. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) confirmed robustness of the model, with 89% of PSA iterations falling below a £20,000/QALY threshold. Scenario analysis using a societal perspective further improved cost-effectiveness (ICER: £7475).
ConclusionsHCCP is a cost-effective add-on therapy for the treatment of adults with PNP in Scotland, with consistent findings across diabetic and non-diabetic populations. These results support the benefits of integrating HCCP in healthcare systems and clinical practice, both in terms of patient outcomes and economic benefits for the system.