OBJECTIVES: Asthma, a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways, affects about 20 million people in Brazil, with 5%–10% of cases classified as severe, leading to significant morbidity and high healthcare utilization. Biologic drugs have transformed the management of severe asthma. In Brazil, available medications include omalizumab for severe allergic asthma (SAA), mepolizumab and benralizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), and dupilumab for T2-high asthma. However, despite the use of these immunobiologics, unmet needs persist in patients with severe asthma. The PATHFINDER clinical program has demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of tezepelumab for severe asthma, irrespective of phenotype or biomarker. To evaluate the incorporation of tezepelumab into the Brazilian supplementary health system, a budget impact model (BIM) was developed.

METHODS: The BIM, with a 5-year time horizon, assessed costs from the perspective of the supplementary healthcare system. Eligible patients had uncontrolled severe asthma (including SEA and SAA), with the total population defined by epidemiological parameters. List prices for tezepelumab and its comparators were sourced from Brazil’s Medicines Market Regulation Chamber (CMED), including an 18% tax. The projected market share of treatments was based on market research. The study adhered to the Brazilian Guidelines for Budget Impact Analysis.

RESULTS: Over 5 years, the estimated number of eligible patients increased from 6,133 to 6,318. The incorporation of tezepelumab resulted in 491 to 1,769 patients receiving the treatment over this period, leading to a cost reduction of -BRL 19,480,911 . The cost reduction was more pronounced in SAA (-BRL 18,888,169) than in SEA (-BRL 592,742). Sensitivity analyses revealed that the cost of tezepelumab followed by the cost of omalizumab exhibited the highest sensitivity. A more rapid incorporation (920 to 2,691 patients) resulted in a total cost reduction of -BRL 33,385,321.

CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of tezepelumab led to significantly lower medical expenses, highlighting its dual clinical and cost-saving impact.