Lucentis may be more cost-effective than Eylea for DME

A cost-effectiveness analysis based on Protocol T results found considerably higher costs and minimal gain in quality-adjusted life-years with Eylea (aflibercept), from Bayer (BAYN; DE) and Regeneron (Nasdaq: REGN), compared with Lucentis (ranibizumab), from Roche (ROG: Six) subsidiary Genentech, for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, leading to the conclusion that Lucentis may be more cost-effective.

“We used the Markov model, which takes visual acuity and divides it into groups from best to worst vision, and then we used an algorithm to sort these visual acuities into visual impairment costs and [quality-adjusted life-years] QALYs,” said Nancy Holekamp, a consultant to Novartis, at the recent American Society of Retina Specialists meeting, reported by Healio Ocular Surgery News.

$8,000 price difference found over a year’s treatment