Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40257973›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Cost-utility analysis of botulinum toxin type A versus oral drug treatment in patients with severe blepharospasm in Thailand.

Parima Hirunwiwatkul, Unchalee Permsuwan, Sureerat Ngamkiatphaisan, Niphon Chirapapaisan, Jiruth Sriratanaban

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

5 authors.

Parima HirunwiwatkulDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0002-7599-1991
Unchalee PermsuwanDepartment of Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.ORCID 0000-0002-6909-2789
Sureerat NgamkiatphaisanResearch Center of Health Systems and Services, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Niphon ChirapapaisanDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Jiruth SriratanabanPreventive and Social Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBlepharospasm is a chronic facial movement disorder affecting a person's ability to work, causing depression, pain, and a reduced quality of life (QoL). Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) treatment can improve these conditions; however, its cost remains a significant barrier for inclusion of this indication into the Thai National List of Essential Medicine.

objectivesThis study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of onabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A) and abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) treatment compared to oral medication treatment in patients with severe blepharospasm from a societal perspective.

methodsA cost-utility analysis using a two-part model was conducted to analyze lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Inputs were mainly obtained from real-world evidence of 159 Thai patients with blepharospasm. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3% annually and presented as 2023 value. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were estimated. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

resultsIn comparison to standard oral medication, both onaBoNT-A and aboBoNT-A incurred greater lifetime cost (3,055 USD, 2,889 USD vs 1,926 USD) while gaining additional QALYs (6.94 years, 6.94 years vs 6.53 years). The estimated ICERs were 2,722 USD/QALY for onaBoNT-A and 2,323 USD/QALY for aboBoNT-A. Utility and cost of BoNT-A were important determinants in the sensitivity analysis.

conclusionAmong patients with severe blepharospasm, both onaBoNT-A and aboBoNT-A were considered a cost-effective strategy under the Thai willingness to pay threshold of 4,613 USD/QALY. Having aboBoNT-A was slightly more favorable due to lower cost, using a conversion ratio of 1U of onaBoNT-A: 3U of aboBoNT-A.

Indexed as

BlepharospasmBotulinum Toxins, Type ACost-Benefit AnalysisAdministration, OralAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality-Adjusted Life YearsQuality of LifeThailandabobotulinumtoxinABotulinum Toxins, Type Aonabotulinum toxin A

Identifiers

PMID40257973
PMCPMC12011269

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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.