Retigabine as add-on treatment of refractory epilepsy--a cost-utility study in a Swedish setting.

OBJECTIVES: To calculate comparative incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (cost per quality-adjusted life year, QALY) and net marginal benefits for retigabine as add-on treatment for patients with uncontrolled focal seizures as compared to add-on lacosamide treatment and no add-on treatment, respectively. MATERIALS & METHODS: Calculations were performed using a validated decision-tree model. The study population consisted of adult patients with focal-onset epilepsy in published randomized placebo-controlled add-on trials of retigabine or lacosamide. Healthcare utilization and QALY for each treatment alternative were calculated. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed using the specification of this model as a basis for Monte Carlo simulations. 2009 prices were used for all costs. RESULTS: Results were reported for a 2-year follow-up period. Retigabine add-on treatment was both more effective and less costly than lacosamide add-on treatment, and the cost per additional QALY for the retigabine no add-on (standard) therapy comparison was estimated at 2009€ 15,753. Using a willingness-to-pay threshold for a QALY of € 50,000, the net marginal values were estimated at 2009€ 605,874 for retigabine vs lacosamide and 2009€ 2,114,203 for retigabine vs no add-on, per 1,000 patients. The probabilistic analyses showed that the likelihood that retigabine treatment is cost-effective is at least 70%. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated cost per additional QALY, for the retigabine vs no add-on treatment comparison, is well within the range of newly published estimates of willingness to pay for an additional QALY. Thus, add-on retigabine treatment for people with focal-onset epilepsy with no/limited response to standard antiepileptic treatment appears to be cost-effective.

Retigabine for the adjunctive treatment of adults with partial-onset seizures in epilepsy with and without secondary generalization : a NICE single technology appraisal.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) invited the manufacturer of retigabine (GlaxoSmithKline) to submit evidence for the clinical and cost effectiveness of this drug for the treatment of adults with partial-onset seizures in epilepsy, with and without secondary generalization, as part of the Institute's single technology appraisal (STA) process. The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination was commissioned to act as the Evidence Review Group (ERG). The ERG undertakes a critical review of the clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence of the technology based upon the manufacturer's submission to NICE. The ERG also independently searches for relevant evidence and evaluates modifications to the manufacturer's decision-analytic model. This paper provides a description of the company submission, the ERG review and NICE's subsequent decisions. The clinical effectiveness data were derived from three placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A meta-analysis pooling across all doses of retigabine found beneficial effects of retigabine in terms of responder rate (odds ratio [OR] 2.79; 95 % CI 2.08, 3.76) and rate of seizure freedom (OR 2.54; 95 % CI 0.92, 6.98) [both double-blind phase analyses]. When compared in a network meta-analysis with the selected comparator antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) [eslicarbazepine acetate, lacosamide, pregabalin, tiagabine and zonisamide], retigabine offered broadly similar efficacy in terms of responder rate and freedom from seizure. The de novo decision-analytic model presented within the submission evaluated the cost effectiveness of retigabine compared with these AEDs and no treatment (i.e. maintenance therapy). After numerous additional analyses, the ERG considered the use of retigabine to be not cost effective for NICE at thresholds below £43,000 if no treatment was considered a relevant comparator. The NICE Appraisal Committee decided that an appropriate comparator was an active treatment. The Committee recommended that retigabine is offered as an option for the adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization in adults aged 18 years and older with epilepsy, only when previous treatment with carbamazepine, clobazam, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, sodium valproate and topiramate has not provided an adequate response, or has not been tolerated.

Cost-effective synthesis of 5,7-diamino-4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (CL-14) and its evaluation in plastic bonded explosives.

5,7-Diamino-4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (CL-14) has been synthesized by a cost-effective method. CL-14 was characterized by spectral data (IR, NMR and mass) and elemental analysis. The compound was evaluated in plastic bonded explosives (PBX) using polyurethane (PU) as binder. The thermal, mechanical and explosive properties of PBX composition from preliminary tests are also reported. Good thermal stability as well as good insensitiveness are indicated.