Cost-Utility Analysis of the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Ophthalmol Retina. 2024 May;8(5):431-446. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2023.11.002. Epub 2023 Nov 21.

Abstract

Purpose: To quantify the cost-utility ratio of the ranibizumab Port Delivery System (PDS; SUSVIMO) versus intravitreal ranibizumab injections for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) based upon Archway Phase 3 Trial data.

Design: Cost-utility analysis.

Subjects: Archway Phase 3 Clinical Trial nAMD participants previously responsive to anti-VEGF therapy were randomized 3:2. Two hundred forty received PDS refills q 24 weeks and 162 received ranibizumab injections.

Methods: Ophthalmic patient, time tradeoff utilities, direct medical and societal cost perspectives, 12-year, 1-year, and 5-year timelines, United States 2022 real dollars, and a 3% annual discount rate were employed. Utilities were adjusted for nAMD conversion in fellow eyes during the 12-year, mean participant life expectancy. Premature death associated with severe vision loss was integrated as per the population-based Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study.

Main outcome measures: Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) accruals, costs, and incremental and average cost-utility ratios in $/QALY (dollars expended per QALY gained).

Results: Versus no therapy, the 1-year PDS QALY gain was 0.0156 (6.8%) versus 0.0063 (0.82%) for intravitreal injections (P < 0.001), whereas the respective 12-year QALY gains were 1.714 (28%) and 1.639 (26.8%) (P = 0.99). One-year direct PDS ophthalmic costs totaled $21 825 with 2 ranibizumab fills, whereas ranibizumab injection therapy totaled $18 405 with 11.8 injections. The 1-year incremental PDS $/QALY versus injections was cost effective at $75 497/QALY. Five-year PDS therapy was not incrementally cost effective at $304 108/QALY, nor was the 12-year therapy at $761 646/QALY. Average 12-year cost-utility ratios were $78 773/QALY for the PDS and $47 917/QALY for injection therapy. Adding -$476 442 12-year offsetting societal costs netted $314 521 to society per PDS participant versus $370 958 per participant for injection therapy.

Conclusions: Ranibizumab PDS therapy was not incrementally cost effective versus ranibizumab injection therapy at 12 or 5 years but was at 1 year. Injection therapy had a more favorable 12-year average cost-utility ratio. Vision gain was the major determinant of participant value gain and was the same for both interventions. Both interventions were highly cost effective utilizing average cost-utility analysis with the societal cost perspective.

Financial disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Keywords: Cost-utility analysis; Macular degeneration; Patient preferences cost-benefit; Ranibizumab Port Delivery System; Ranibizumab injections.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors* / administration & dosage
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors* / economics
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis*
  • Drug Delivery Systems / economics
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections*
  • Male
  • Quality of Life
  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Ranibizumab* / administration & dosage
  • Ranibizumab* / economics
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Visual Acuity*
  • Wet Macular Degeneration* / diagnosis
  • Wet Macular Degeneration* / drug therapy
  • Wet Macular Degeneration* / economics

Substances

  • Ranibizumab
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A