Pharmacoeconomy in ART: The importance of the gonadotrophin choice

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have created a number of relevant economic implications. Results deriving from cost-effectiveness studies have had some important medical and social consequences. The costs of ART are specific to the healthcare system in each of the countries were the procedure is performed, reflecting the varying degrees of public and private responsibility for purchasing healthcare and total healthcare expenditure. The analysis of different cost components per treatment cycle demonstrates that the hormonal stimulation stage is the most expensive part of IVF/ICSI cycles. The use of a more costly preparation could be justified only in case of a significantly higher live birth rate. Currently, human gonadotrophins seem to be more cost-effective than recombinant preparations.