Secukinumab is the most efficient treatment for achieving clear skin in psoriatic patients: a cost-consequence study from the Spanish National Health Service

Abstract

Objective: To compare the cost consequence of biologic drugs for moderate-to-severe psoriasis from the perspective of the Spanish National Health System.

Methods: We built a decision tree with a two-year time horizon. Efficacy data for biologics (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab and secukinumab) were drawn from published meta-analyses: PASI75 for the induction phase and PASI90 for the rest of follow-up. Patients with PASI < 75 at week 10-16 were switched to another biologic agent. Efficacy at week 24 was considered the highest possible efficacy for each drug and assumed to remain constant throughout the two-year period. Only drug treatment costs were used. The number needed to treat (NNT), annual cost per patient, annual cost per patient with PASI90 (cost per responder) and cost of primary failure (PASI < 75 at first efficacy evaluation) were calculated.

Results: Secukinumab monotherapy was associated with the lowest cost per responder, followed by infliximab and ustekinumab. Treatment sequences starting with secukinumab were the most efficient, having the lowest NNT and cost per responder. Although the annual cost per treatment is similar for all drugs, there are huge differences in the cost per responder.

Conclusions: Secukinumab as first-line biologic treatment is the most efficient treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in the short-to-medium term.

Keywords: Biological agents; cost per responder; psoriasis.