Objective: To evaluate the economic value of mepolizumab as an add-on therapy to the standard of care (SoC) for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma in China.
Methods: A Markov model with three health conditions was constructed to calculate the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in mepolizumab with SoC and SoC only groups from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system throughout an entire lifespan. The model was populated with local costs, while efficacy parameters were obtained from the global Phase III MENSA trial and mortality was derived from two surveys. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Additional scenario analysis was used to estimate the cost-effectiveness impact of changes in the price of mepolizumab.
Results: Over the lifetime treatment horizon, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of mepolizumab plus SoC compared to SoC alone was $170 648.73 per QALY. Sensitivity analyses focused on these results. Scenario analysis showed that mepolizumab would require a price reduction of at least 82% to reach the current willingness-to-pay (WTP=$38 223.34/QALY) threshold.
Conclusion: Mepolizumab is not a cost-effective healthcare resource in China at its current pricing.
Keywords: Asthma; ICER; Markov model; QALY; economic value; standard of care.