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Cost-Utility Analysis of Melphalan plus Prednisone With or Without Interferon-α2b in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Results from a Randomised Controlled Trial

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Summary

This study evaluated the cost utility of adding interferon-α2b to conventional treatment in patients with multiple myeloma. It also provides a methodology for transforming complex quality-of-life profiles into a single index value on the conventional 0 to 1 quality-adjusted life-year scale (QALY).

From 1990 to 1992,583 patients with newly diagnosed, symptomatic multiple myeloma were enrolled in a randomised, multicentre, phase III study to evaluate the addition of interferon-α2b to treatment with melphalan and prednisone.

Addition of interferon-α2b yielded a 12% increase in median survival time, at the expense of a slight reduction in quality of life during the first year of treatment. The gain in survival time was not large enough to reach statistical significance. Patients receiving interferon-α2b also had a 5- to 6-month prolongation of the plateau phase.

Cost per QALY gained by adding interferon-α2b was conservatively estimated at $US110 000. Potentially better cost effectiveness may be found in different treatment regimens or in certain patient subgroups.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, Torshov, N-0403, Oslo, Norway

    Erik Nord

  2. Department of Haematology, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Finn Wisøff

  3. Department of Medicine, Lidkøping Hospital, Lidkøping, Sweden

    Martin Hjorth

  4. Medical Clinic, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    Jan Westin

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  1. Erik Nord
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  2. Finn Wisøff
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  3. Martin Hjorth
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  4. Jan Westin
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Nord, E., Wisøff, F., Hjorth, M. et al. Cost-Utility Analysis of Melphalan plus Prednisone With or Without Interferon-α2b in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. Pharmacoeconomics 12, 89–103 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-199712010-00009

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-199712010-00009

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