Dapagliflozin is a cost-effective treatment option for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), according to new findings published in JAMA Cardiology.
Several studies have already confirmed that the SGLT2 inhibitor, sold under the name Farxiga, can improve outcomes for HFrEF patients. The team behind this analysis, however, aimed to see if it still provided significant value when its price was taken into consideration.
“At present, dapagliflozin’s price is approximately $470 per month,” wrote lead author Justin T. Parizo, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues. “It remains unclear whether it is cost-effective at this price point.”
Performing several different analyses, the authors found that treatment with the standard of care (SOC)—defined as accepted device and drug therapy for heart failure—resulted in survival that lasted a mean of 8.5 life-years with a mean number of two hospitalizations for heart failure (HHF). Patients treated with dapagliflozin, meanwhile, lived a mean of 0.78 more life-years with a mean of 0.13 fewer HHF.
Parizo et al. determined that this meant dapagliflozin resulted in a mean of 0.46 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared to SOC as a treatment method for preventing adverse outcomes among patients with HFrEF. The cost per QALY gained was $83,650.
“Dapagliflozin had similar value among patients with and without diabetes and patients with mild and moderate impairment of health status due to heart failure,” the authors wrote. “The results were most sensitive to dapagliflozin’s effect on cardiovascular mortality and its cost. In addition, dapagliflozin would need to remain effective for at least 44 months to have a cost per QALY gained of less than $150,000.”
Overall, these findings led the research team to determine that dapagliflozin “provides intermediate value among patients with HFrEF.” The medication's success appeared to be impacted the most by its effect on cardiovascular mortality.
“Additional data regarding the magnitude of mortality reduction would improve the precision of cost-effectiveness estimates,” Parizo wrote.
In addition, they added, attempts to increase therapy rates for dapagliflozin should be pursued.
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.