Evaluación de costo-efectividad de los nuevos anticoagulantes orales en pacientes con fibrilación auricular no valvular

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rate disorder and one of the potentially treatable causes of cardioembolisms and cerebrovascular events. Availability of new anticoagulation drugs in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation poses challenges that mostly derive from usage costs, efficacy and security profiles, tolerance and availability. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted based on the Markov model, which allows to compare the available anticoagulation strategies for non-valvular atrial fibrillation in the country (apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban). The third payer perspective (according to Colombian health system) was used, taking into consideration only the direct medical costs. The methodological guides followed were suggested by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA). The time frame was 5 years, 10 years and a lifetime, whilst the discount rate was 3%. After assessing the model based on the conducted sensitivity analysis and the cost-effectiveness threshold for Colombia, it was revealed that for the baseline case the different molecules assessed, despite being cost effective, exceed the threshold proposed for this study. Rivaroxaban and dabigatran are the only cost-effective strategies in a 10-year time frame with a discount rate of 3% and for a lifetime time frame and discount rate of 3% all three molecules reach the cost-effectiveness threshold established for Colombia. These considerations are highly sensitive to the cost of the medications.