ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of denosumab and teriparatide in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in Chinese women, and provide reference for relevant decision-making. METHODS From the perspective of health system in China, Excel 2003 was used to establish Markov model, and cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the cost- effectiveness of denosumab or teriparatide combined with Calcium carbonate D3 tablets in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in Chinese women. Pharmacotherapy effects were obtained with network meta-analysis, and cost and health utility value data were obtained from published literature. The model cycle was 1 year, and the simulation time limit was the patient’s lifetime. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were used to evaluate the effects of model parameter changes on the robustness of the results. Through scenario analysis, the cost-effectiveness of domestic drug cost used as drug cost of terlipatide group was discussed; the influence of residual effects of teriparatide on the results and the cost-effectiveness of sequential use of desumamab after terlipatide withdrawal were also discussed. RESULTS The effect of denosumab regimen was better than that of terlipatide regimen [13.24 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) vs. 12.96 QALYs], with lower cost (51 224.64 yuan vs. 167 102.67 yuan), denosumab regimen was the absolutely superior regimen. The results of single factor sensitivity analysis showed that the cost and discount rate of Terlipatide injection had greater impact on the results. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that when three times of China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 was used as the threshold of willingness to pay, the probability of cost-effectiveness of denosumab regimen was 93.5%. The results of scenario analysis showed that, whether the drug cost of terlipatide regimen which was replaced by domestic drugs, or the residual effect of terlipatide was considered, or desulmonab was used sequentially after two years of terlipide treatment, denosumab regimen was always the absolute advantage regimen. CONCLUSIONS Denosumab combined with Calcium carbonate D3 tablets is more cost-effective than teriparatide combined with Calcium carbonate D3 tablets in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in Chinese women.