Schering Intron-A for hepatitis B saves $6,600 per patient in medical costs, AIM study projects.
Executive Summary
SCHERING's INTRON A SAVES $6,600 PER HEPATITIS B PATIENT v. standard care in lifetime medical costs, according to a cost-effectiveness study of Schering's alpha interferon product published May 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors, John Wong, MD, et al., from the New England Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, conducted a meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled clinical trials of Intron A for hepatitis B, projected outcomes based on serological markers used in the trials and modeled costs for standard care versus Intron A therapy. The authors conclude that lifetime costs of standard care would be $60,200 per patient versus $53,600 for Intron A treatment.