Memantine for treatment of moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease patients in urban China: clinical and economic outcomes from a health economic model

Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2015;15(4):565-78. doi: 10.1586/14737167.2015.1065734.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the clinical and economic benefits of memantine treatment initiated in moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) in China, compared with initiation in severe AD only.

Methods: A Markov model with a 5-year time horizon simulated moderate patients' progression through health states. Two groups were compared: patients receiving memantine from the moderate stage (i.e., at model entry), continuing treatment when reaching the severe stage; patients initiating memantine only when they developed severe disease.

Results: After 5 years, fewer patients receiving memantine from the moderate stage were severe (49%), dependent (59%) or aggressive (47%) compared with moderate patients who initiated treatment from severe stage only (58, 67 and 55%, respectively). Total cost of care was lower for treatment from moderate stage (67 billion RMB) when compared with treatment from severe stage (73 billion RMB).

Conclusions: In China, AD treatment with memantine from the moderate stage could result in substantial cost savings.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; aggression; cost-saving; disease burden; memantine; pharmacoeconomic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / economics
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
  • China
  • Cost Savings
  • Disease Progression
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / economics
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Markov Chains
  • Memantine / economics
  • Memantine / therapeutic use*
  • Models, Economic*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urban Population

Substances

  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
  • Memantine