Novo Nordisk looks to HEOR data to back Victoza
pharmafile | November 11, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Byetta, HEOR, Lyxumia, NHS, Novo Nordisk, Victoza, cost-effectiveness
A Novo Nordisk-sponsored study of the cost-effectiveness of three different injectable anti-diabetes drugs has found Victoza is a cheaper option for the NHS than other drugs in its class.
The findings from a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) analysis demonstrated that Novo Nordisk’s Victoza (liraglutide) 1.2 mg is cost-effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the UK market when compared to Sanofi’s Lyxumia (lixisenatide), and is cost-saving compared to Byetta (exenatide). The Danish firm presented the study at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research conference in Milan, Italy.
The analysis assessed the cost-effectiveness of the three drugs, all GLP-1 agonists – at these doses when prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the UK. Victoza was found to be cost-effective versus Lyxumia, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ICER – a calculation used to quantify the additional benefit gained from an intervention and its associated cost – a £7,367 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Victoza was also associated with cost-savings of £87 per QALY gained versus Byetta.
The analysis was based on changes seen in blood glucose level (as measured by HbA1c), blood pressure and body mass index on initiation of each treatment, taken from a network meta-analysis of 13 randomised controlled trials. These trials evaluated the efficacy and safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on oral antidiabetic drugs.
“As the population with type 2 diabetes increases, it is vital that cost-effective medications such as liraglutide are available to help improve patients’ quality of life and prevent complications,” says Dr Klaus Henning Jensen, head of clinical, medical and regulatory at Novo Nordisk UK and Ireland.
In the UK, it’s estimated that there are currently 3.3 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes – up from up from 2.1 million in 2005, a rise of 60%. And this figure is predicted to rise to five million people by 2025, as is the cost of treatment.
Figures from the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that in 2014/15 the net ingredient cost (NIC) of drugs for managing diabetes was £868.6 million. The figures represent 10% of the total £8.71 billion primary care prescribing spend in 2014/15, a rise from 9.5% in 2013/14 and 6.6% in 2005/06. This has been estimated as a cost of £1.5 million an hour to the NHS.
Lilian Anekwe
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