The study investigated the potential cost-effectiveness of a novel cartilage cell therapy for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee. It was compared with two existing procedures from the perspective of the UK health system. The analysis was based on a Markov model incorporating data on transition probabilities, response rates, utility values and costs. The analysis is relevant because it provides a health economic assessment of the new technique prior to its market launch and final pricing.
Cost-effectivenessofanovelcartilagecelltherapyforcartilagedefectsintheknee
Compared with existing treatments, this novel cartilage cell therapy is cost-effective
“The novel cartilage cell therapy studied is cost-effective in England for treating knee cartilage defects compared with existing treatments.”
Key results
- The novel cartilage cell therapy was cost-effective compared with microfracturing: ICER £5.147 per QALY gained.
- In the base-case analysis, another cartilage cell therapy was ‘extensively dominated’ by NInject.
- In the model, the novel cartilage cell therapy achieved 18,250 QALYs, compared with 17,874 QALYs for the existing cartilage cell therapy and 15,623 QALYs for microfracturing.
- In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the technology was the most cost-effective option in 60% of the simulations, assuming a willingness to pay of £20,000 per QALY.
Conclusion
The results suggest that, from the perspective of the UK healthcare system, this novel cartilage cell therapy may be an economically attractive option for the treatment of larger knee cartilage defects. The analysis remains preliminary, as the final price of the product had not yet been determined at the time of the study.
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