Pharmacologic regimens for knee osteoarthritis prevention: can they be cost-effective?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

We sought to determine the target populations and drug efficacy, toxicity, cost, and initiation age thresholds under which a pharmacologic regimen for knee osteoarthritis (OA) prevention could be cost-effective.

Design

We used the Osteoarthritis Policy (OAPol) Model, a validated state-transition simulation model of knee OA, to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOADs) as prophylaxis for the disease. We assessed four cohorts at varying risk for developing OA: (1) no risk factors, (2) obese, (3) history of knee injury, and (4) high-risk (obese with history of knee injury). The base case DMOAD was initiated at age 50 with 40% efficacy in the first year, 5% failure per subsequent year, 0.22% major toxicity, and annual cost of $1,000.

SUBMITTER: Losina E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4006219 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature