×
Home
Archive Submission Guidelines
News Contact
Review article
Crossmark

Improving estimate of cost/effectiveness of drugs for rare diseases

By
Branislava Raičević ,
Branislava Raičević

University of Kragujevac , Kragujevac , Serbia

Slobodan Janković Orcid logo
Slobodan Janković

University of Kragujevac , Kragujevac , Serbia

Abstract

Incremental cost/effectiveness ratio (ICER) of many drugs for rare diseases is often much higher that the accepted cost/effectiveness threshold for reimbursement, primarily due to their extremely high prices, raising the question of their availability. The aim of this article was to review necessary adjustments of methods used for cost/effectiveness analysis of drugs for rare diseases. This article is a narrative review of methods for adjusting cost/effectiveness analysis of drugs for rare diseases in order to get more realistic estimate of ICER threshold, which is essential information for decision-makers. Inputs in cost/effectiveness analysis of a drug for rare diseases should be adjusted by changing discount rates, estimating utilities in a more precise way, excluding treatment-unrelated costs, calculating local C/E threshold, and most importantly, by negotiating drug price until the C/E threshold is not surpassed. With intensified adjusted cost/effectiveness research within the area, many uncertainties will be ended, and real-life value of many of the drugs for rare diseases will be known, influencing pricing in a sustainable direction. With the adjustments, the true cost/effectiveness of a drug for rare disease will be approached, enabling evidence-based and completely transparent reimbursement decisions.

References

1.
Silva EN da, Sousa TRV. Economic evaluation in the context of rare diseases: is it possible? Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 2015;31(3):496–506.
2.
Shafie AA, Chaiyakunapruk N, Supian A, Lim J, Zafra M, Hassali MAA. State of rare disease management in Southeast Asia. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2016;11(1).
3.
Giugliani L, Vanzella C, Zambrano MB, Donis KC, Wallau TKW, Costa FM da, et al. Clinical research challenges in rare genetic diseases in Brazil. Genetics and Molecular Biology. 42(1 suppl 1):305–11.
4.
Jayasundara K, Hollis A, Krahn M, Mamdani M, Hoch JS, Grootendorst P. Estimating the clinical cost of drug development for orphan versus non-orphan drugs. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 2019;14(1).
5.
Zajdel J, Zajdel R. Reviews Brand-name drug, generic drug, orphan drug. Pharmacological therapy with biosimilar drugs – provision of due diligence in the treatment process. Współczesna Onkologia. 2013;6:477–83.

Citation

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.