Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1999 Dec 11;319(7224):1529-33.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7224.1529.

Population based cost utility study of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

R B Forbes  1 , A Lees, N Waugh, R J Swingler
Affiliations

Population based cost utility study of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

R B Forbes et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost utility of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Design: Population based cost utility model (healthcare perspective). Data on use of health services were obtained from case records and routine morbidity data and utility values from a EuroQol survey. Local and published costs were used. Effectiveness was modelled using data on relative risk reductions from a randomised trial of interferon beta-1b.

Setting: Tayside region, 1993-5.

Subjects: 132 ambulatory people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Main outcome measures: Cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Rate of relapse and proportion becoming wheelchair dependent over three years.

Results: The number needed to treat for 30 months to delay time to wheelchair dependence in one person by nine months was 18 (95% confidence interval 5 to 26). For every 18 people treated for 30 months, six relapses would be prevented, gaining 0.397 discounted QALYs. The cost per QALY gained was 1 024 667 pounds sterling (276 466 pounds sterling to 485 499 pound sterling). If treatment was restricted to patients attending neurology services, the number needed to treat was 14 (cost per QALY gained 833 pounds sterling 514 (161 358 pounds sterling to infinity)). The cost per QALY gained was not sensitive to changes in cost which took account of a societal perspective.

Conclusions: The cost per QALY gained from interferon beta is high because of the high drug cost and modest clinical effect. Resources could be used more efficiently elsewhere.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. IFNB Multiple Sclerosis Study Group. Interferon beta1b is effective in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. I. Clinical results of a multicenter, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Neurology. 1993;43:655–661. - PubMed
    1. Jacobs LD, Cookfair DL, Rudick RR, Herndon RM, Richet JR, Salazir AM, et al. Intramuscular interferon beta 1a for disease progression in relapsing multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurology. 1996;39:285–294. - PubMed
    1. PRISMS Study Group. Randomised double-blind placebo controlled study of interferon beta 1a in relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis. Lancet. 1998;352:1498–1504. - PubMed
    1. European Study Group on Interferon beta-1b in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Placebo-controlled multicentre randomised trial of interferon beta-1b in treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Lancet. 1998;352:1491–1497. - PubMed
    1. Richards RG. Interferon beta in multiple sclerosis. Clinical cost effectiveness falls at the first hurdle. BMJ. 1996;313:1159. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types