AstraZeneca's ticagrelor cost effective versus clopidogrel

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca yesterday announced that full data results of the PLATO health economics sub-study, which have been published on-line in the European Heart Journal, demonstrate that even at a higher drug cost and incremental cost per acute coronary syndromes (ACS) patient, ticagrelor (known as Brilique in the European Union and Brilinta elsewhere) numerically lowered non-drug healthcare costs versus generic clopidogrel (Sanofi’s now off-patent blockbuster blood thinner Plavix) and is cost-effective.

The cost-effectiveness of ticagrelor was driven by the mortality benefit seen in the pivotal PLATO trial, which showed ticagrelor was cost-effective across all major patient subgroups, the company noted.

The analysis used in the health economics sub-study included the Swedish costs for both ticagrelor and generic clopidogrel and found that, though treating ACS patients with ticagrelor costs an additional average of 96 euros per patient/year, treatment with ticagrelor resulted in a 21% mortality benefit and lower healthcare costs at 12 months as compared to generic clopidogrel.