Abstract

Background

Novel anticoagulants, such as factor Xa inhibitors, have entered clinical practice as alternatives to warfarin for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolic event (SEE) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). It is not known whether edoxaban, the fourth-to-market factor Xa inhibitor approved for this indication, will be cost-effective in Taiwan, where the cost of warfarin monitoring is prohibitive.

Methods

A Markov model projecting lifetime results of edoxaban 60 mg/30 mg dose-reduced versus warfarin in patients with nonvalvular AF, based on the ENGAGE AF – TIMI 48 trial, found edoxaban to be of high value relative to warfarin, from the perspective of the US health care system. We applied Taiwan-specific cost inputs to this model structure to assess the relative cost-effectiveness of edoxaban versus warfarin from the perspective of the Taiwanese health care system. Event rates and hazard ratios from the ENGAGE AF – TIMI 48 East Asian subpopulation were explored in sensitivity analyses.

Results

Edoxaban was found to be highly cost-effective compared with warfarin, based on guidelines proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a base case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $12,902 per quality-adjusted life year gained. These results were robust to variation of key model parameters, including assumptions regarding the cost and quality-of-life impact of stroke and bleeding events, and assuming East Asian-specific (as opposed to full-trial-population) rates for combinations of ischemic stroke, SEE, and major bleeding.

Conclusions

Despite its higher acquisition cost, edoxaban is an economically attractive alternative to warfarin for the prevention of stroke and SEE in patients with AF in Taiwan.