A Cost-Utility Analysis of Oral Triptans for Migraine in an Adult Outpatient Setting in Japan

<p><strong><span>Objectives</span></strong><span><strong>. </strong>Pharmacoeconomic studies have not been performed frequently in Japan. This study attempted to clarify which oral triptans, including eletriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, and zolmitrian, are cost-effective in treating migraine in an adult outpatient setting in Japan.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Methods</span></strong><span><strong>. </strong>A cost-utility analysis was conducted for healthcare payers. The population targeted was Japanese patients over the age of 18 who experienced migraines. A base-case model was prepared using probabilities from a network meta-analysis. Direct costs consisted of medical and drug costs (2017 version). Effectiveness was measured with the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire for adult patients with migraine. The duration of the study was 30 days.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Results</span></strong><span><strong>.</strong> The cost-utility analysis base-case scenario demonstrated that eletriptan, rizatriptan, and sumatriptan were cost-effective from the healthcare payers' perspective. Deterministic sensitivity analyses showed that the results were sensitive to the drug prices of three triptans. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed that eletriptan, rizatriptan, and sumatriptan were acceptable because of their accessibility and the healthcare payer's willingness to pay for them (5,000,000 yen/quality-adjusted life-years) were 0.662, 0.172, and 0.075, respectively.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Conclusions</span><span>.</span> </strong><span>The results revealed that eletriptan, rizatriptan, and sumatriptan are cost-effective treat</span><span>ments</span><span> in Japan </span><span>for </span><span>migraine from a healthcare payer's perspective.</span></p>