New antiepileptic drugs, cost-efficacy analysis

Objective: to optimize pharmacotherapy in patients with epilepsy and to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of its therapy with the new antiepileptic drugs (AED): levetiracetam, lamotrigine, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine.

Patients and methods. The study enrolled 134 patients (women, 69.03%; men, 30.97%) with different types of seizures, who had previously received antiepileptic therapy. The patients visited their physician at least twice; after correcting therapy by an epileptologist, the mono- or polytherapy regimen included new AEDs. The patients' mean age was 29.8±8.7 years; disease duration was 13.01±6.7 years; mean age at onset was 16.8±8.5 years. In the groups of working and nonworking patients with different types of seizures, the authors calculated the cost of epilepsy therapy, by taking into account the use of new AEDs and the pharmacoeconomic index "cost-benefit" before and after therapy optimization.

Results. When the new AEDs were incorporated into the therapy, the low incidence rate of seizures following a year averaged 75 to 92%. The index cost-effectiveness was decreased by 2—3 times in all types of seizures when the new AEDs were used despite the increased direct cost of treatment. Also, there was a significant reduction in the cost of epilepsy treatment in practically all the groups under study. The findings suggest that the index cost-efficacy directly depends on the rational choice of an AED in an adequate dose. Rational therapy with the new AEDs makes it possible to reduce not only the total cost of epilepsy treatment, but also to lower the index cost-efficacy.

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