OBJECTIVES:

Colombia expects to have close to 234,200 patients with neovascular ARMD by the year 2020. Treatment of neovascular ARMD involves the sequential Intra-vitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor medications (anti-VEGF therapy). The efficacy and safety of anti-VEGF therapy on a treat-and-extend (TAE) dosing scheme are similar when ranibizumab or aflibercept are administered.

This cost-minimization analysis from the payer`s perspective in Colombia projects treatment expenses of anti-VEGF therapy using aflibercept or ranibizumab on TAE regimens for the treatment of neovascular ARMD.

METHODS:

A model projects the expenses of the compared treatment regimens for the period between years 2020 and 2025. The model considered medication and treatment costs, information from clinical trials and meta-analyses on the compared treatment regimens, local demographic, epidemiologic and economic data.

RESULTS

In the treatment of neovascular ARMD in Colombia, for a five-year period beginning 2020 and using TAE dosing regimens, anti-VEGF therapy using ranibizumab may be cost saving when compared with therapy using aflibercept. Savings in the five-year period could be close to U.S. $ 6,917 per patient. If all patients with neovascular ARMD in Colombia receive anti-VEGF therapy between the years 2020 and 2025, the minimal expected savings for the Colombian health care system with the use of ranibizumab as compared to aflibercept could be close to U.S. $ 497,249,492.

CONCLUSIONS

In the Colombian health care setting and for a five-year projection beginning 2020, anti-VEGF therapy on a TAE regimen utilizing ranibizumab for neovascular ARMD may be cost saving compared with the administration of aflibercept.