Comparative pharmacoeconomic analysis of long-acting lanreotide used in acromegaly therapy within conditions of the Russian Federation health care system

The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the use of long-acting subcutaneous lanreotide gel compared to alternative drugs, for the treatment of acromegaly.

Materials and methods. Based on the literature data, a treatment model with a 1-year outlook was developed, a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in pharmacoeconomics and a sensitivity analysis of changes in the model parameters were carried out. Direct medical costs for the annual therapy course were calculated. The data on the medicines costs were taken from the register of marginal prices of the State Register of Medicines.

Results. According to the unified Russian registry of the pituitary-hypothalamic tumors area, the achievement of remission in the acromegaly patients using lanreotide, a long-acting gel for a subcutaneous administration, compared to the long-acting octreotide, is 51% vs 24%. During the first year of treatment with octreotide, the total pharmacotherapy costs were lower than with lanreotide (RUB 225,496.07 vs RUB 574,451.84). According to the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis for one achieved case of remission, the advantage of using lanreotide over long-acting octreotide was revealed (RUB 1,251,870.56 versus RUB 1,431,005.31). The sensitivity analysis demonstrated the model’s stability to increases in the lanreotide price (up to +18%), decreases in the octreotide prices (up to –22%), increases in the transsphenoidal adenomectomy prices (up to +59%), and decreased lanreotide remission rates (up to –12%).

Conclusion. Although the treatment costs analysis showed lower total per year costs of the treatment with long-acting octreotide compared to lanreotide, the calculation of the cost-effectiveness ratio per remission showed that lanreotide had been superior to long-acting octreotide.