Economic evaluation of the administration of follitropin-β with a pen device

Previous studies suggest that administration of follitropin-β with a pen device (Puregon Pen®) is more convenient, less painful and 16-18% more efficient. The aim of this study was to perform an economic evaluation of the administration of follitropin-β by this pen device against follitropin-α by multidose and highly purified (HP) HMG by conventional syringe in IVF treatment by comparing the process utilities and the costs for the Dutch setting. Conjoint analysis assessed the process utilities for the three administration modes on a scale from 0 to 1. A decision analytic model estimated the costs of an average IVF cycle from a societal perspective. Patients estimated the process utility at 0.96 for the pen, 0.53 for the multidose and 0.36 for the conventional syringe. Additional costs were estimated at €0 and €194, comparing the pen with multidose or conventional methods respectively. Assuming a 16% efficiency gain of the pen, costs ranged from €-135 (savings) to €60 (extra costs). In conclusion, patients perceive sufficient benefits to the pen device to choose it over other dosing methods. Dominance of the pen device over the multidose method was shown. Compared with the conventional administration method, the added value of the pen device was 2.7 (0.96/0.36) times higher.