Cost-effectiveness analysis of mometasone furoate versus beclomethasone dipropionate for the treatment of pediatric allergic rhinitis in Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases observed in the pediatric population, producing a significant morbidity, and an economic burden due to direct medical costs and indirect costs. Despite the high prevalence of AR in children and the importance of the use of topical intranasal corticosteroids for its treatment, comparative analyses of alternative treatments in pediatric patients, in terms of both cost and effectiveness are lacking.

METHODS: A decision-analysis model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) compared to beclomethasone dipropionate nasal spray (BDNS) for treating pediatric patients with AR over a 12-month period. Effectiveness parameters were obtained from a published study in which authors performed a systematic review of the literature. Cost data were obtained from a hospital's bills and from the national manual of drug prices. The study assumed the perspective of the national healthcare in Colombia. The outcomes were three effectiveness measures summarized in a therapeutic index (TIX).

RESULTS: For the base-case analysis, the model showed that compared to BDNS, therapy with MFNS was associated with lower costs (US$229.78 vs. 289.74 average cost per patient over 12 months) and a greater improvement in TIX score (0.9724 vs. 0.8712 score points on average per patient over 12 months), thus leading to dominance.

CONCLUSION: The present analysis shows that in Colombia, compared with BDNS, therapy with MFNS for treating pediatric patients with AR is a dominant strategy because it showed a greater improvement in a TIX reflecting both efficacy and safety, at lower total treatment costs.