Improve Cost-effectiveness of Power Plant Turbines

Shanghai Turbine Works is the firstturbine manufacturer in China, starting fromthe production of first 6 MW mediumpressure steam turbine in 1953. It hasdeveloped 12 MW to 300 MW steam turbinesof various capacities of condensing,intermediate reheat or cogeneration types. Upto 1995, the production of 300 MWsubcritical pressure intermediate reheat steamturbine has been accumulated to 60 sets. The600 MW class steam turbine is currentlyunder manufacture. Shanghai Turbine Worksis the only manufacturer in China to producelarge capacity nuclear turbine. The first set of310 MW nuclear turbine produced inDecember 1991 has been operating stably inQinshan Nuclear Power Plant, China. Overthe past 40 years, Shanghai Turbine Workshas produced 995 sets of power plant turbineswith 45.91 GW total capacity, which occupiesabout 30 percent of total installed fossil unitcapacity in China. Fig. 1 is the unit capacityincrement of Shanghai Turbine Works over the years.China is a huge market for electric powerdevelopment. Up

High-resolution microendoscopy for esophageal cancer screening in China: A cost-effectiveness analysis

AIM:To study the cost-effectiveness of high-resolution microendoscopy(HRME)in an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)screening program in China.METHODS:A decision analytic Markov model of ESCC was developed.Separate model analyses were conducted for cohorts consisting of an averagerisk population or a high-risk population in China.Hypothetical 50-year-old individuals were followed until age 80 or death.We compared three different strategies for both cohorts:(1)no screening;(2)standard endoscopic screening with Lugol’s iodine staining;and(3)endoscopic screening with Lugol’s iodine staining and an HRME.Model parameters were estimated from the literature as well as from GLOBOCAN,the Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide cancer database.Health states in the model included non-neoplasia,mild dysplasia,moderate dysplasia,high-grade dysplasia,intramucosal carcinoma,operable cancer,inoperable cancer,and death.Separate ESCC incidence transition rates were generated for the average-risk and high-risk populations.Costs in Chinese currency were converted to international dollars(I$)and were adjusted to 2012dollars using the Consumer Price Index.RESULTS:The main outcome measurements for this study were quality-adjusted life years(QALYs)and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER).For the average-risk population,the HRME screening strategy produced 0.043 more QALYs than the no screening strategy at an additional cost of I$646,resulting in an ICER of I$11808 per QALY gained.Standard endoscopic screening was weakly dominated.Among the high-risk population,when the HRME screening strategy was compared with the standard screening strategy,the ICER was I$8173 per QALY.For both the high-risk and average-risk screening populations,the HRME screening strategy appeared to be the most cost-effective strategy,producing ICERs below the willingness-topay threshold,I$23500 per QALY.One-way sensitivity analysis showed that,for the average-risk population,higher specificity of Lugol’s iodine(>40%)and lower specificity of HRME(<70%)could make Lugol’s iodine screening cost-effective.For the high-risk population,the results of the model were not substantially affected by varying the follow-up rate after Lugol’s iodine screening,Lugol’s iodine test characteristics(sensitivity and specificity),or HRME specificity.CONCLUSION:The incorporation of HRME into an ESCC screening program could be cost-effective in China.Larger studies of HRME performance are needed to confirm these findings.

Real-world cost-effectiveness associated with infliximab maintenance therapy for moderate to severe Crohn's disease in China

BACKGROUND Infliximab was the first approved biologic treatment for moderate to severe Crohn's disease(MS-CD) in China. However, the cost-effectiveness of infliximab maintenance therapy(IMT) for MS-CD relative to conventional maintenance therapy remained unclarified.AIM To assess the cost-effectiveness of IMT for MS-CD in Chinese patients from the perspective of Chinese public insurance payer.METHODS A cohort of MS-CD patients managed in a Chinese tertiary care hospital was created to compare IMT with conventional maintenance therapy(CMT) for clinical outcomes and direct medical costs over a 1-year observation time using conventional regression analyses. A decision-analytic model with the generated evidence was constructed to assess the cost-effectiveness of IMT relative to CMT using reimbursed medical costs.RESULTS Based on the included 389 patients, IMT was associated with significantly higher disease remission chance [odds ratio: 4.060, P = 0.003], lower risk of developing new complications(odds ratio: 0.527, P = 0.010), higher utility value for quality of life(coefficient 0.822, P = 0.008), and lower total hospital costs related to disease management(coefficient-0.378, P = 0.008) than CMT. Base-case cost-effectiveness analysis estimated that IMT could cost Chinese health insurance payers $55260 to gain one quality-adjusted life year(QALY). The cost-effectiveness of IMT was mainly driven by the estimate of quality of life, treatment efficacy of maintenance therapy, mortality risk associated with active disease, and unit price of infliximab. The probability that IMT was cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of three times gross domestic product [2018 Chinese gross domestic product per capita(GDPPC)] was 86.4%.CONCLUSION IMT significantly improved real-world health outcomes and cost the Chinese public health insurance payers less than one GDPPC to gain one QALY in Chinese MS-CD patients.

Safety,effectiveness,and cost-effectiveness of ArgusⅡin patients with retinitis pigmentosa:a systematic review

AIM:To assess the effectiveness,safety,and costeffectiveness of the Argus II in treatment of the retinitis pigmentosa(RP)patients.METHODS:The Pro Quest,Web of Science,EMBASE,MEDLINE(via Pub Med)were searched using combinations of the keywords of Argus,safety,effectiveness,bionic eye,retinal prosthesis,and RP through March 2018.The retrieved records were screened and then assessed for eligibility.RESULTS:Totally 926 records were retrieved from the searched databases and finally 12 studies included.The RP patients showed improvements in visual function after receiving the prosthesis,compared to the time before the prosthesis or the time it was off.This was measured by square localization,direction of motion,and grating visual acuity tests.No major adverse effect was reported for the Argus II prosthesis itself and/or the surgery to implement it,but the most frequently reported items were hypotony,and conjunctival dehiscence.The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)was calculated to be€14603 per qualityadjusted life year(QALY)in UK and$207616 per QALY in Canada.CONCLUSION:The available evidence shows that the Argus II prosthesis in RP patients is effective in improvement of their visual function.Some minor adverse effects are reported for the prosthesis.The cost-effectiveness studies show that the technology is cost-effective only at high levels of willingness-to-pay.

Tuberculosis Control Priorities Defined by Using Cost-Effectiveness and Burden of Disease

Objective To define TB control priorities using cost-effectiveness and burden of disease.Methods An assumed cohort of 2 000 cases was set up based on age-specific incidence of 794 newly registered smear-positive cases in Beijing in1994.Prognostic trees and model diagrams of infectivity with natural history and DOTS intervention were constructed based on the epidemiological parameters.Results DOTS reduced 89.19% of YLL,78.90% of YLD,and 99.98% of infectivity BOD.One DALY could be saved with 45.70% Yuan by DOTS with 3% discount.Sensitivity analysis showed that discount had effect on CER.Weight of age was insensitive to CER.The higher the DOTS coured rate,the more the cost-effectiveness.Conclusions DOTS is a good cost-effectiveness TB control strategy.Cost-effectiveness and burden of disease can be used to define TB control priorities.

Effects of Different Combinations of Fertilization and Agrochemical Application on Yield and Cost-effectiveness of Cucumber

This study was conducted to provide reference for rational fertilization and agrochemical application in cucumber plantation,and relieve the problem of environmental pollution and vegetable agrochemical residues. The effects of different combinations of fertilization and agrochemical application on cucumber yield and cost input were investigated. Four treatments were conducted,including T1（ conventional fertilization ＋ conventional agrochemical application,CK）,T2（ conventional fertilization ＋ recommended agrochemical application）,T3（ recommended fertilization ＋ conventional agrochemical application） and T4（ recommended fertilization ＋ recommended agrochemical application）. The results showed that T4 had fewer kinds of fertilizers and agrochemicals than that of T1,and had a yield increasing effect on cucumber,and the yield increase was 7 003. 5 kg/hm^2,with an increasing rate of 19. 25%; and it also had obvious cost-saving and benefit-increasing effects,specifically,the cost was saved by 10 941 yuan/hm^2 and the benefit was increased by 31 951. 5 yuan/hm^2. The results of this experiment were satisfactory,and higher benefit was obtained with lower input. This study will provide reference for cucumber planter to choose fertilizers and agrochemicals,and lays a foundation for alleviating the ecological soil problems.

Considering the cost-effectiveness of statins in family practice in Turkey from a payer perspective

The percentage of mortality caused by cardio-vascular events in European Countries and European Union Countries is respectively 49% and 42% of all mortality causes. Our estimates about cardiovascular mortality in Turkey depend on TEKHARF (Hearth Disease and Risk Factors in Turkish Adults) which depended on a 12 year observation. It has been reported that cardio-vascular mortality rates for Turkey in men and women were 0.082% and 0.043% respectively. In Turkey, Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Pravastatin, Rosuvastatin and Simvastatin are the different alternatives found in the statin market. All stat-ins are reimbursed by insurance companies. The aim of this study is to determine the cost- effectiveness of statins. In conclusion, simvas-tatin and rosuvastatin comprised the optimal two statin alternatives.

Cost-effectiveness of robotic-assisted spinal surgery:A single-center retrospective study

Objective:Robotic-assisted spine surgeries(RASS)have been shown to enhance precision,reduce operative time,prevent complications,facilitate minimally invasive spinal surgery,and decrease revision surgery rates,leading to improved patient outco mes This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of RAs's and non-robotic-assisted surgery for degenerative spine disease at a single center.Me thods:This retrospective study,including 122 patients,was conducted at a single center from March 2015 to February 2022.Patients who underwent ro bot-assisted surgery were assigned to the robotgroup,and patients who underwent non-robotic-assisted surgery were assigned to the non-mmbot group.Various data,indluding demographic information,surgical details,outcomes,and cost-effectiveness,were colected for both groups.The cost-effectiveness was determined using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER),and subgroup analysis was conducted for patients with 1 or 2 levels of spi-nal instrumentation.The analysis was performed using STATA SE version 15 and Tree.Age Pro 2020,with Monte Caro simulations for the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve.Results The owerallICER was$22,572,but it decreased to$16,980 when considering cases with only 1or 2 levels of instrumentation.RASS is deemed cost-effective when the willi ingness to pay is$3000-$4000 if less than 2 levels of the spine are instrumented.Conchsions:The cost-effectiveness of robot icassistance be comes apparent whenthere isa reduced need for open surgeries,leading to decreased d revision rates caused by complications such as misplaced screwsor infctions.Therefore,it is advisable to allocate healthcare budget resou Irces to spine robots,as RASS PIDves to be cost-effective,partic cularly when only two or Ewer spinal levels require instrumentation.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Combined Chemotherapy Regimen Containing Bedaquiline in the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in China

Objective This study aims to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the combined chemotherapy regimen containing Bedaquiline(BR)and the conventional treatment regimen(CR,not containing Bedaquiline)for the treatment of adults with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB)in China.Methods A combination of a decision tree and a Markov model was developed to estimate the cost and effects of MDR patients in BR and CR within ten years.The model parameter data were synthesized from the literature,the national TB surveillance information system,and consultation with experts.The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)of BR vs.CR was determined.Results BR(vs.CR)had a higher sputum culture conversion rate and cure rate and prevented many premature deaths(decreased by 12.8%),thereby obtaining more quality-adjusted life years(QALYs)(increased by 2.31 years).The per capita cost in BR was as high as 138,000 yuan,roughly double that of CR.The ICER for BR was 33,700 yuan/QALY,which was lower than China's 1×per capita Gross Domestic Product(GDP)in 2020(72,400 yuan).Conclusion BR is shown to be cost effective.When the unit price of Bedaquiline reaches or falls below57.21 yuan per unit,BR is expected to be the dominant strategy in China over CR.

A cost-effectiveness assessment of the operational parameters of central HVAC systems during pandemics

The present study develops a cost-effectiveness assessment model to analyze the performance of major operational parameters of central HVAC systems in terms of airborne transmission risk,energy consumption,and medical and social cost.A typical multi-zone building model with a central HVAC system is built numerically,and the effect of outdoor air(OA)ratio(from 30%to 100%)and filtration level(MERV 13,MERV 16,and HEPA)are assessed under the conditions of five climate zones in China.Compared with the baseline case with 30%OA and MERV 13 filtration,the airborne transmission risk in zones without infector is negligibly reduced with the increase in OA ratio and the upgrade of filtration level,owing to their slight modification on the equivalent ventilation rate of virus-free air.However,depending on climate zone,a 10%increase in OA ratio results in 12.5%-78.6%and 0.1%-8.6%increase in heating and cooling energy consumption,respectively,while an upgrade of filtration level to MERV 16 and HEPA results in an increase of 0.08%-0.2%and 1.4%-2.6%,respectively.Overall,when compared to the use of 100%OA ratio and HEPA filtration,the application of 30%or 40%OA ratio and MERV 13 filtration would save annually an energy and facility related cost of$29.4 billion in China,though giving an increase of approximately$0.1 billion on medical and social cost from the increased number of confirmed cases.This study provides basic method and information for the formulation of cost-effective operational strategies of HVAC systems coping with the airborne transmission,especially in resource-limited regions.

Cost-effectiveness of patient specific vs conventional instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Over the past years,patient specific instrumentation(PSI)for total knee arthroplasty(TKA)has been implemented and routinely used.No clear answer has been given on its associated cost and cost-effectiveness when compared to conventional instrumentation(CI)for TKA.AIM To compare the cost and cost-effectiveness of PSI TKA compared to CI TKA.METHODS A literature search was performed in healthcare,economical healthcare,and medical databases(MEDLINE,EMBASE,CINAHL,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,EconLit).It was conducted in April 2021 and again in January 2022.Relevant literature included randomised controlled trials,retrospective studies,prospective studies,observational studies,and case control studies.All studies were assessed on methodological quality.Relevant outcomes included incremental cost-effectiveness ratio,quality-adjusted life years,total costs,imaging costs,production costs,sterilization associated costs,surgery duration costs and readmission rate costs.All eligible studies were assessed for risk of bias.Meta-analysis was performed for outcomes with sufficient data.RESULTS Thirty-two studies were included into the systematic review.Two were included in the metaanalysis.3994 PSI TKAs and 13267 CI TKAs were included in the sample size.The methodological quality of the included studies,based on Consensus on Health Economic Criteria-scores and risk of bias,ranged from average to good.PSI TKA costs less than CI TKA when considering mean operating room time and its associated costs and tray sterilization per patient case.PSI TKA costs more compared to CI TKA when considering imaging and production costs.Considering total costs per patient case,PSI TKA is more expensive in comparison to CI TKA.Meta-analysis comparing total costs for PSI TKA,and CI TKA showed a significant higher cost for PSI TKA.CONCLUSION Cost for PSI and CI TKA can differ when considering distinct aspects of their implementation.Total costs per patient case are increased for PSI TKA when compared to CI TKA.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Insulin Degludec and Liraglutide Injection in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Objective To analyze the cost-effectiveness of insulin degludec and liraglutide injection(IDegLira)compared with insulin glargine plus insulin aspart(IGar plus IAsp)in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)based on the price of IDegLira before and after it was successfully admitted to the National Reimbursable Drug List(NRDL).Methods Cost and effectiveness parameters were obtained through systematic retrieval from PubMed,ScienceDirect,CNKI,and Wanfang database.A cost-effectiveness analysis(CEA)model was established to analyze the economics using IDegLira for T2DM patients with 1 to 5 years of medication.Results and Conclusion Before IDegLira was admitted to NRDL,its economic advantages over the IGlar plus Iasp regimen became more significant as patients’medication time prolonged.After being admitted to NRDL,with 1 year of medication,the medical cost of IDegLira decreased by 2853.91 yuan and the quality adjusted life years(QALY)increased by 0.12055 than IGar plus IAsp.The sensitivity analysis was highly consistent with the results of the baseline result.After being admitted to NRDL,for patients with T2DM who have poor blood glucose control,IDegLira is absolutely an economic advantage scheme compared with IGar plus IAsp.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of tele-retinopathy of prematurity screening in Iran

AIM:To conduct a cost-utility analysis of the teleretinopathy of prematurity(ROP)screening program against no screening.METHODS:A decision tree model was developed to identify and treat the infants with threshold ROP through the tele-screening system compared with no screening program from the societal perspective.We used the quality adjusted life years(QALY)index to measure the scenarios’effectiveness,which was discounted for the future years by 0.058.One hundred twenty-six randomly selected newborns with ROP required treatment were investigated to extract the treatment information.We considered the direct medical and non-medical costs in cost calculations analysed by the bottom-up approach.The figures of the model’s inputs were calculated using the Monte Carlo simulation that generated 1000 random iteration of the data,and a one-way sensitivity analysis was performed on the model to cope with the potential uncertainties.RESULTS:The total and per capita needed the budget to establish a tele-ROP screening system were estimated at over 1.5 million and 35.13 USD,respectively.The total cost of identifying and treating an ROP case in tele-screening and no screening strategies were obtained as 108.72 and 63.52 USD,respectively,and their lifetime discounted QALY gained were calculated as 15.39 and 15.11,respectively.Therefore,incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)of tele-screening strategy against the competitive strategy was achieved as 161.43 USD.CONCLUSION:Tele-ROP screening program is one of the most cost-effective interventions in the Iranian health system and has a high priority to receive a budget for implementation.

First-line atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in treatment of extensive small cell lung cancer:a cost-effectiveness analysis from China

Background:IMpower 133 trial first confirmed the efficacy and safety of adding atezolizumab or placebo to first-line treatment with chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer(SCLC).While,overprice limited its broad use in clinical.The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in treatment of extensive SCLC as first line in China.Methods:A Markov model was established by extracting data from the IMpower 133 trial with untreated extensive SCLC patients.Utility values were obtained from published studies,and the costs were acquired from real world and literature.Additionally,sensitivity analyses based on a willingness-to-pay(WTP)threshold were performed to identify the uncertain parameters of Markov model.Results:Total costs of atezolizumab group were$48,129,while cost of chemotherapy alone was just$12,920 in placebo group.The quality-adjusted life-years(QALYs)in atezolizumab group was just 0.072 higher than that in placebo group(0.858 QALYs vs.0.786 QALYs).The cost-effectiveness ratio between atezolizumab combination with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone was$489,013/QALY in China.The net benefit of placebo group was significantly higher than atezolizumab group.One-way sensitivity analyses highlighted that utilities of the progression-free survival(PFS)and progression disease state in placebo group were the most influential parameter.Conclusions:Atezolizumab combination therapy was not more cost-effective than chemotherapy alone at a WTP threshold of$25,929/QALY in China.

Acupuncture's Role in Solving the Opioid Epidemic: Evidence, Cost-Effectiveness, and Care Availability for Acupuncture as a Primary, Non-Pharmacologic Method for Pain Relief and Management-White Paper 2017

The United States （U.S.） is facing a national opioid epidemic, and medical systems are in need of non- pharmacologic strategies that can be employed to decrease the public＇s opioid dependence. Acupuncture has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective, and available treatment modality suitable to meeting this need. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the management of numerous types of pain conditions, and mechanisms of action for acupuncture have been described and are understandable from biomedical, physiologic perspectives. Further, acupuncture＇s cost-effectiveness can dramatically decrease health care expenditures, both from the standpoint of treating acute pain and through avoiding addiction to opioids that requires costly care, destroys quality of life, and can lead to fatal overdose. Numerous federal regulatory agencies have advised or mandated that healthcare systems and providers offer non-pharmacologic treatment options for pain. Acupuncture stands out as the most evidence-based, immediately available choice to fulfil these calls. Acupuncture can safely, easily, and cost-effectively be incorporated into hospital settings as diverse as the emergency department, labor and delivery suites, andneonatal intensive care units to treat a variety of commonly seen pain conditions. Acupuncture is already being successfully and meaningfully utilized by the Veterans Administration and various branches of the U.S. Military, in some studies demonstrably decreasing the volume of opioids prescribed when included in care.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab versus sorafenib as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma:a cost-effectiveness analysis

Dear Editor,Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and accounted for 8.9%of all neoplasms,as shown by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017[1].Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)comprises 75%-85%of liver cancers[2].The abysmal statistic is partly contributed by the fact that only 30%-40%of all patients are diagnosed at early stages that are amenable to potentially curative treatments[3].For over a decade,the availability of new agents,such as lenvatinib-and sorafenib-based targeted therapy,has significantly improved the outcome of patients with advanced HCC,prolonging the median overall survival(OS)from 4-8 months to 10-15 months[4,5].However,the therapeutic options for advanced HCC are still limited,and the prognosis is poor.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of colon cancer treatments from MOSIAC and No.16968 trials

AIM:To compare XELOX and FOLFOX4 as colon cancer adjuvant chemotherapy based on MOSAIC and No.16968 trails from Chinese cost-effectiveness perspective.METHODS:A decision-analytic Markov model was developed to compare the FOLFOX4 and XELOX regimens based MOSAIC and No.16968 trial.Five states were included in our Markov model:well(state 1),minor toxicity(state 2),major toxicity(state 3),quitting adjuvant chemotherapy(state 4),and death due to adjuvant chemotherapy(state 5).Transitions among the 5 states were assumed to be Markovian.Costs were calculated from the perspective of the Chinese health-care payer.The utility data were taken from published studies.Sensitivity analyses were used to explore the impact of uncertainty factors in this cost-effectiveness analysis.RESULTS:Total direct costs of FOLFOX4 and XELOX per patient were$19884.96±4280.30 and$18113.25±3122.20,respectively.The total fees related to adverse events per patient during the entire treatment were$204.75±16.80 for the XELOX group,and$873.72±27.60 for the FOLFOX4 group,and the costs for travel and absenteeism per patient were$18495.00for the XELOX group and$21,352.68 for the FOLFOX4group.The base-case analysis showed that FOLFOX4was estimated to produce an additional 0.06 in quality adjusted life years(QALYs)at an additional cost of$3950.47 when compared to the XELOX regimen over the model time horizon.The cost per QALY gained was$8047.30 in the XELOX group,which was$900.98 less than in the FOLFOX4 group($8948.28).The one way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the utility for the well state and minor toxicity state greatly influenced the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of FOLFOX4.CONCLUSION:In term of cost-comparison,XELOX is expected to dominate FOLFOX4 regimes;Therefore,XELOX provides a more cost-effective adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer patients in China.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with or without sorafenib for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) and TACE in combination with sorafenib(TACEsorafenib) have shown a significant survival benefit for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Adopting either as a first-line therapy carries major cost and resource implications. The objective of this study was to estimate the relative cost-effectiveness of TACE against TACE-sorafenib for unresectable HCC using a decision analytic model.METHODS: A Markov cohort model was developed to compare TACE and TACE-sorafenib. Transition probabilities and utilities were obtained from systematic literature reviews, and costs were obtained from West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. Survival benefits were reported in quality-adjusted life-years(QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER) was calculated. Sensitive analysis was performed by varying potentially modifiable parameters of the model.RESULTS: The base-case analysis showed that TACE cost $26 951 and yielded survival of 0.71 QALYs, and TACE-sorafenib cost $44 542 and yielded survival of 1.02 QALYs in the entire treatment. The ICER of TACE-sorafenib versus TACE was $56 745 per QALY gained, which was above threshold for cost-effectiveness in China. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the major driver of ICER was the cost post TACE-sorafenib therapy with stable state.CONCLUSION: TACE is a more cost-effective strategy than TACE-sorafenib for the treatment of unresectable HCC.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Zoledronic Acid for HER2-Negative Breast Cancer in Japan: The JONIE1 Study

Objective: Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that induces osteoclast apoptosis and inhibits bone resorption. Adding ZOL to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to have potential anticancer benefits in women with HER2-negative breast cancer. The objective of the present study was to investigate ZOL’s cost-effectiveness from the perspective of health care payers in Japan. Methods: A Markov model was developed to evaluate the costs and effectiveness associated with ZOL + chemotherapy (CTZ) and chemotherapy (CT) alone over a 10-year time horizon. Monthly transition probabilities were estimated according to JONIE1 (Japan Organization of Neoadjuvant Innovative Expert) Study data and an extrapolated Weibull model. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Costs were calculated using year-2018 Japanese yen (JPY) (1.00 US dollars (USD) = 110.4 JPY). Model robustness was addressed through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The costs and QALYs were discounted at a rate of 2% per year. Results: In the base case, the use of CTZ was associated with a gain of 3.94 QALYs. The incremental cost per QALY of the CTZ gain was 681,056.1 JPY (6168.99 USD) per QALY. Conclusion: It is convincing that neoadjuvant CTZ for patients with breast cancer would be expected to have statistically significant clinical efficacy. Addition of ZOL to CT might be a cost-effective option compared with CT alone.