Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27310294›Full record

ArticlePloS one2016

Drug Pricing Evolution in Hepatitis C.

Nathalie Vernaz, François Girardin, Nicolas Goossens, Urs Brügger, Marco Riguzzi, Arnaud Perrier, Francesco Negro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nathalie VernazMedical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
François GirardinMedical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Nicolas GoossensDivisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Urs BrüggerWinterthur Institute of Health Economics, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Marco RiguzziWinterthur Institute of Health Economics, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland.
Arnaud PerrierMedical Direction, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Francesco NegroDivisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveWe aimed to determine the association between the stepwise increase in the sustained viral response (SVR) and Swiss and United States (US) market prices of drug regimens for treatment-naive, genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the last 25 years. We identified the following five steps in the development of HCV treatment regimens: 1) interferon (IFN)-α monotherapy in the early '90s, 2) IFN-α in combination with ribavirin (RBV), 3) pegylated (peg) IFN-α in combination with RBV, 4) the first direct acting antivirals (DAAs) (telaprevir and boceprevir) in combination with pegIFN-α and RBV, and 5) newer DAA-based regimens, such as sofosbuvir (which is or is not combined with ledipasvir) and fixed-dose combination of ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir and ombitasvir in combination with dasabuvir.

designWe performed a linear regression and mean cost analysis to test for an association between SVRs and HCV regimen prices. We conducted a sensitivity analysis using US prices at the time of US drug licensing. We selected randomized clinical trials of drugs approved for use in Switzerland from 1997 to July 2015 including treatment-naïve patients with HCV genotype 1 infection.

resultsWe identified a statistically significant positive relationship between the proportion of patients achieving SVRs and the costs of HCV regimens in Switzerland (with a bivariate ordinary least square regression yielding an R2 measure of 0.96) and the US (R2 = 0.95). The incremental cost per additional percentage of SVR was 597.14 USD in Switzerland and 1,063.81 USD in the US.

conclusionThe pricing of drugs for HCV regimens follows a value-based model, which has a stable ratio of costs per achieved SVR over 25 years. Health care systems are struggling with the high resource use of these new agents despite their obvious long-term advantages for the overall health of the population. Therefore, the pharmaceutical industry, health care payers and other stakeholders are challenged with finding new drug pricing schemes to treat the entire population infected with HCV.

Indexed as

Antiviral AgentsCost-Benefit AnalysisDrug DiscoveryDrug Therapy, CombinationGenotypeHepacivirusHepatitis CHumansInterferonsOligopeptidesRibavirinRitonavirSofosbuvirSwitzerlandUnited StatesAntiviral AgentsInterferonsOligopeptidesRibavirinRitonavirSofosbuvirtelaprevir

Identifiers

PMID27310294
PMCPMC4911078

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.