Cost-effectiveness analysis of mepolizumab among patients with severe asthma from the Chinese societal perspective

by Chaohao Shi, Yang Wang, Chongqing Tan, Xiaohui Zeng, Qiao Liu Background Patients with severe asthma, particularly those with an eosinophilic phenotype, face a limited array of treatment options. The Mepolizumab Efficacy in Patients with Severe Asthma (MENSA) trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT03562195) has underscored the potential therapeutic benefits of mepolizumab as an adjunctive treatment for this patient group.

However, the high cost of mepolizumab therapy presents significant economic challenges that may impede its widespread adoption in China. This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of mepolizumab from a societal perspective within the Chinese population suffering from severe asthma.

Methods A Markov model spanning a lifetime horizon and employing a 2-week cycle was constructed. The model incorporated clinically significant exacerbations (CSEs) rates from the MENSA trial, along with asthma mortality rates, costs, and health state utilities, sourced from a broad spectrum of literature and national databases.

Both costs and effectiveness outcomes were discounted annually at 5%.