Non‐invasive monitoring and treat‐to‐target approach are cost‐effective in patients with mild–moderate ulcerative colitis
Paolo Angelo Cortesi, Gionata Fiorino, Laurent Peyrin‐Biroulet, LG Mantovani, Vipul Jairath, Kristine Paridaens, Fredrik Andersson, Silvio Danese
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are no data to assess the value associated with a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy based on tight control of mild-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a T2T approach based on the normalisation of clinical signs and faecal calprotectin (FC) METHODS: A decision analytical Markov model was developed to compare T2T algorithm combining clinical symptoms and FC levels to define treatment response and the possible switch to the next treatment line (T2T-FC), and the reference strategy based only on symptoms. The model included five treatment lines and was conducted from the Italian national health service (NHS) perspective using a 3-year time horizon. The model calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio as € per relapse avoided. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The cost-effectiveness analysis produced an increased time spent by a patient in clinical remission and FC ≤ 100 level (+0.177 years; about 2 months) and a decreasing number of relapses (-0.1937; -20.9%) per patient using a T2T-FC approach compared to only symptoms. Furthermore, the T2T-FC was associated with higher cost (+€1795). The ICER estimated was €9263 per relapse avoided. These results were confirmed by sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: T2T-FC approach resulted in a higher benefit for mild-moderate UC patients in terms of time in remission and incidence of relapse but was associated with higher costs. Clinical trials and real-world clinical studies are needed to provide additional data on the cost-benefit of this approach.