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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Pioglitazone hydrochloride (Actos) and rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia) are members of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs) and are used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Greater beneficial effects on lipids have been demonstrated with pioglitazone, however. Study objectives were to evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of pioglitazone compared to rosiglitazone in treating patients with T2DM and dyslipidemia, and determine the extent to which reported beneficial lipid effects of pioglitazone would improve clinical and economic outcomes through reduced macrovascular complications.
† Actos is a trade name of Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Deerfield, IL, US
‡ Avandia is a trade name of GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle, NC, US
Research design and methods: The validated CORE Diabetes Model (CDM) was used to simulate changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), complications, and direct medical costs. Baseline parameters came from a multi-center, double-blind trial comparing lipid and glycemic effects of pioglitazone (n = 400) and rosiglitazone (n = 402) among individuals with T2DM and untreated dyslipidemia. Sensitivity analyses examined the impact of cohort, clinical, and cost inputs on incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs).
Results: In the base case, pioglitazone was associated with mean (standard deviation [SD]) quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of 7.476 (0.123) vs. 7.326 (0.128) for rosiglitazone. Pioglitazone had $3038 higher total direct costs, but $580 lower complication costs. Risks of four cardiovascular complications were reduced with pioglitazone (relative risks 0.860–0.942), while risks of 17 other complications were slightly higher (relative risks 1.001–1.056). The ICER for pioglitazone treatment was $20 171/QALY. Results were most sensitive to the effects of HbA1c, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, overall lipid effects, and pioglitazone acquisition costs.
Conclusions: Study limitations include issues of generalizability of the trial patient population, as well as inability to capture non-adherence and variation in ‘real-world’ treatment patterns. Nevertheless, pioglitazone (when compared to rosiglitazone) was found to have long-term value as a treatment option for T2DM patients with dyslipidemia treated within the US payer setting.
Acknowledgements
Declaration of interest: This work was funded by Takeda Global Research and Development Center, Ltd., Deerfield, IL, USA (the manufacturers of pioglitazone). B.J.P. and R.W.B. are full-time employees of that company. Takeda contracts with the first three authors’ employer to provide consulting services. However, the publication of any specific results was not contingent upon client approval, and the consulting company was not paid for any specific result. The authors thank freelancer Kat Hendrix, PhD for her assistance in drafting initial portions of the manuscript.
Notes
* The results reported in this paper were presented in poster format at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 10th European Congress, Dublin, Ireland, October 22–25, 2007
† Actos is a trade name of Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Deerfield, IL, US
‡ Avandia is a trade name of GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle, NC, US
* Actos is a trade name of Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Deerfield, IL, US
† Avandia is a trade name of GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle, NC, US