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ABSTRACT
Background: A recent study demonstrated that treatment of type 1 diabetes with an analogue basal–bolus insulin regimen was associated with improved glycaemic control (HbA1c –0.22% points, p < 0.001), reduced risk of hypoglycaemic events (–21%, p = 0.036) and reduction in body mass index (–0.30 kg/m2, p < 0.001) compared to a human basal–bolus regimen after 18 weeks.
Methods: A published and validated computer simulation model was used to project long-term economic and clinical outcomes in a simulated cohort of type 1 diabetes patients treated with either insulin detemir plus insulin aspart (analogue) or Neutral Protamine Hagedorn plus human soluble insulin (human), in a UK setting. Probabilities of complications and HbA1c-dependent adjustments were derived from major clinical and epidemiological studies. Complication and treatment costs were projected over patient lifetimes from a National Health Service perspective. Costs and clinical benefits were discounted at 3.5% annually.
Results: Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) was 0.66 quality-adjusted life years (QALY) higher in the analogue insulin versus the human insulin group (mean ± SD) (7.65 ± 0.09 versus 6.99 ± 0.08). Direct lifetime costs were £1654 greater with analogue versus human insulin treatment (£40 876 ± 1119 versus £39 222 ± 1141), producing an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £2500 per QALY gained. Sensitivity analyses showed the results were robust under a range of plausible scenarios.
Conclusions: Treatment with analogue insulin was associated with a decreased incidence of long-term complications and improved QALE, but slightly higher treatment costs compared to human insulin therapy. Analogue insulin treatment had an ICER within the range generally considered to represent good value for money in the UK.