The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug and poison-related deaths in Gold Coast, Australia.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is postulated to impact drug- and poison-related deaths. America has reported an increased in drug-related deaths, whereas Australia has reported a decline. Regional studies are scant and may not mirror national data. Characterising drug and poison-related deaths during COVID-19 at a regional level would inform local interventions and policies on the current and future pandemics. METHODS: A 4-year retrospective study from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) and from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (COVID-19 pandemic) of all drug and poison-related deaths admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital under Coronial investigation. RESULTS: Drug and poison-related deaths increased in both the proportion and absolute numbers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no statistical difference in age, sex, location of death, manner of death and classification of drugs and poison implicated. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is an increase in drug and poison-related deaths, the overall demographic and pattern have not changed. Further studies to account for the variation may enable implementation of targeted public health interventions to address the burden of related deaths in regional settings in the context of future pandemics.

Clinical and Economic Benefits of Lenzilumab Plus Standard of Care Compared with Standard of Care Alone for the Treatment of Hospitalized Patients with Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) from the Perspective of National Health Service England.

Purpose: To estimate the clinical and economic benefits of lenzilumab plus standard of care (SOC) compared with SOC alone in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the National Health Service (NHS) England perspective. Methods: A cost calculator was developed to estimate the clinical benefits and costs of adding lenzilumab to SOC in newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients over 28 days. The LIVE-AIR trial results informed the clinical inputs: failure to achieve survival without ventilation (SWOV), mortality, time to recovery, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use. Base case costs included drug acquisition and administration for lenzilumab and remdesivir and hospital resource costs based on the level of care required. Clinical and economic benefits per weekly cohort of newly hospitalized patients were also estimated. Results: In all populations examined, specified clinical outcomes were improved with lenzilumab plus SOC over SOC treatment alone. In a base case population aged <85 years with C-reactive protein (CRP) <150 mg/L, with or without remdesivir, adding lenzilumab to SOC was estimated to result in per-patient cost savings of £1162. In a weekly cohort of 4754 newly hospitalized patients, addition of lenzilumab to SOC could result in 599 IMV uses avoided, 352 additional lives saved, and over £5.5 million in cost savings. Scenario results for per-patient cost savings included: 1) aged <85 years, CRP <150 mg/L, and receiving remdesivir (£3127); 2) Black patients with CRP <150 mg/L (£9977); and 3) Black patients from the full population (£2369). Conversely, in the full mITT population, results estimated additional cost of £4005 per patient. Conclusion: Findings support clinical benefits for SWOV, mortality, time to recovery, time in ICU, time on IMV, and ventilator use, and an economic benefit from the NHS England perspective when adding lenzilumab to SOC for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Clinical and economic benefits of lenzilumab plus standard of care compared with standard of care alone for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the United States from the hospital perspective.

AIMS: Estimate the clinical and economic benefits of lenzilumab plus standard of care (SOC) compared with SOC alone in the treatment of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia from the United States (US) hospital perspective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A per-patient cost calculator was developed to report the clinical and economic benefits associated with adding lenzilumab to SOC in newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients over 28 days. Clinical inputs were based on the LIVE-AIR trial, including failure to achieve survival without ventilation (SWOV), mortality, time to recovery, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use. Base case costs included the anticipated list price of lenzilumab, drug administration, and hospital resource costs based on the level of care required. A scenario analysis examined projected one-year rehospitalization costs. RESULTS: In the base case and all scenarios, lenzilumab plus SOC improved all specified clinical outcomes relative to SOC alone. Lenzilumab plus SOC resulted in estimated cost savings of $3,190 per patient in a population aged <85 years with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels <150 mg/L and receiving remdesivir (base case). Per-patient cost savings were observed in the following scenarios: (1) aged <85 years with CRP <150 mg/L, with or without remdesivir ($1,858); (2) Black and African American patients with CRP <150 mg/L ($13,154); and (3) Black and African American patients from the full population, regardless of CRP level ($2,763). In the full modified intent-to-treat population, an additional cost of $4,952 per patient was estimated. When adding rehospitalization costs to the index hospitalization, a total per-patient cost savings of $5,154 was estimated. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the clinical benefits for SWOV, ventilator use, time to recovery, mortality, time in ICU, and time on IMV, in addition to an economic benefit from the US hospital perspective associated with adding lenzilumab to SOC for COVID-19 patients.