Pharmacoeconomics of Lipid-lowering Drugs

Overview

Journal Curr Atheroscler Rep

Publisher Springer

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2003 Feb 4

PMID 12562545

Authors

Dean G Smith

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The widespread use and high cost of lipid-lowering drugs have resulted in numerous investigations of their cost effectiveness. Pharmacoeconomic analyses have considered initiation of treatment, maintenance therapy, and long-term outcomes of lipid-lowering therapy. Analyses have yielded a number of consistent messages, but the story continues to evolve as new trials, models, and drugs are introduced. Certain medications are more efficacious and associated with more cost-effective lipid-lowering therapy initiation. Other medications are lower priced and may be more cost effective for maintenance, contingent upon having achieved lipid-lowering goals. Finally, some medications have proven long-term cost effectiveness in trials and comparative cost effectiveness in models. Research is certain to further our understanding of the costs of lipid-lowering therapy and the methods needed to optimize expenditures.

References

Prosser L, Stinnett A, Goldman P, Williams L, Hunink M, Goldman L . Cost-effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering therapies according to selected patient characteristics. Ann Intern Med. 2000; 132(10):769-79. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-132-10-200005160-00002. View

Isaacsohn J, Black D, Troendle A, Orloff D . The impact of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines on drug development. Am J Cardiol. 2002; 89(5A):45C-49C. DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9149(02)02228-2. View

Black D, Davidson M, Koren M, Tresh P, McLain R, Smith D . Cost effectiveness of treatment to National Cholesterol Education Panel (NCEP) targets with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Trial design. Pharmacoeconomics. 1997; 12(2 Pt 2):278-85. DOI: 10.2165/00019053-199712020-00018. View

Grace K, Swiecki J, Hyatt R, Gibbs H, Jones D, Sheikh M . Implementation of a therapeutic-interchange clinic for HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2002; 59(11):1077-82. DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/59.11.1077. View

Jick H, Zornberg G, Jick S, Seshadri S, Drachman D . Statins and the risk of dementia. Lancet. 2000; 356(9242):1627-31. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(00)03155-x. View

Downs J, Clearfield M, Weis S, Whitney E, Shapiro D, Beere P . Primary prevention of acute coronary events with lovastatin in men and women with average cholesterol levels: results of AFCAPS/TexCAPS. Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study. JAMA. 1998; 279(20):1615-22. DOI: 10.1001/jama.279.20.1615. View

Pasternak R, Smith Jr S, Bairey-Merz C, Grundy S, Cleeman J, Lenfant C . ACC/AHA/NHLBI clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002; 40(3):567-72. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(02)02030-2. View

Bazalo G . Managed care trends in statin usage. Manag Care. 2001; 10(10):48-50, 53-9. View

Attanasio E, Russo P, Allen S . Cost-minimization analysis of simvastatin versus atorvastatin for maintenance therapy in patients with coronary or peripheral vascular disease. Clin Ther. 2001; 23(2):276-83; discussion 274-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0149-2918(01)80010-2. View

10.

Caro J, Huybrechts K, De Backer G, De Bacquer D, Closon M . Are the WOSCOPS clinical and economic findings generalizable to other populations? A case study for Belgium. The WOSCOPS Economic Analysis Group. West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study. Acta Cardiol. 2000; 55(4):239-46. DOI: 10.2143/AC.55.4.2005746. View

11.

Gotto Jr A . Management of dyslipidemia. Am J Med. 2002; 112 Suppl 8A:10S-18S. DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9343(02)01085-9. View

12.

Perreault S, Levinton C, Le Lorier J . Efficacy and cost of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in the treatment of patients with primary hyperlipidemia. Can J Clin Pharmacol. 2000; 7(3):144-54. View

13.

Lemaitre R, Psaty B, Heckbert S, Kronmal R, Newman A, Burke G . Therapy with hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitors (statins) and associated risk of incident cardiovascular events in older adults: evidence from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Arch Intern Med. 2002; 162(12):1395-400. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.162.12.1395. View

14.

Koren M, Smith D, Hunninghake D, Davidson M, McKenney J, Weiss S . The cost of reaching National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) goals in hypercholesterolaemic patients. A comparison of atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin and fluvastatin. Pharmacoeconomics. 1998; 14(1):59-70. DOI: 10.2165/00019053-199814010-00006. View

15.

Tsevat J, Kuntz K, Orav E, Weinstein M, Sacks F, Goldman L . Cost-effectiveness of pravastatin therapy for survivors of myocardial infarction with average cholesterol levels. Am Heart J. 2001; 141(5):727-34. DOI: 10.1067/mhj.2001.114805. View

16.

Rockson S . Benefits of lipid-lowering agents in stroke and coronary heart disease: pharmacoeconomics. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2000; 2(2):144-50. DOI: 10.1007/s11883-000-0109-x. View

17.

Lousberg T, Denham A, Rasmussen J . A comparison of clinical outcome studies among cholesterol-lowering agents. Ann Pharmacother. 2002; 35(12):1599-607. DOI: 10.1345/aph.1A097. View

18.

Black D . Statins in children: what do we know and what do we need to do?. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2000; 3(1):29-34. DOI: 10.1007/s11883-001-0007-x. View

19.

van Hout B, Simoons M . Cost-effectiveness of HMG coenzyme reductase inhibitors; whom to treat?. Eur Heart J. 2001; 22(9):751-61. DOI: 10.1053/euhj.2000.2308. View

20.

. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001; 285(19):2486-97. DOI: 10.1001/jama.285.19.2486. View