Pharmacoeconomic aspects of using the drug complex of beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide, sucrose, and starch for the correction of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving renal replacement therapy

Purpose. To evaluate the clinical and economic efficacy of the drug complex of beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide, sucrose, and starch (Velphoro) in comparison with sevelamer in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving phosphate binding therapy during renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the conditions of the healthcare system of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. An analytical decision-making model, which allows estimating the costs of managing patients with stage 5 CKD receiving phosphate binding therapy along with RRT, was built in MS Excel. The model included the costs of phosphate binding therapy with beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide-sucrose-starch complex or sevelamer, as well as the cost and incidence of non-RRT hospitalizations in patients with CKD. The frequency of hospitalizations was determined according to a retrospective analysis of the data from End Stage Renal Disease Seamless Care Organizations (ESCOs), USA (2016-2018). The potential economic impact of using comparison strategies was calculated in 19,617 estimated patients with stage 5 CKD receiving RRT and phosphate binders. Results. The use of beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide, sucrose, and starch complex in comparison with sevelamer is associated with a reduction in costs by 10,222 rubles or by 7.4 % on average per patient, which allows fully reimbursing the costs of more expensive drug therapy (the difference in costs minus the cost of drug therapy is 896 rubles in favor of the beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide, sucrose, and starch complex), and reducing the number of hospitalizations in the target population by more than 6,000 cases. When used in the target cohort of patients, savings will amount to 200.5 million rubles (17.6 million rubles minus the difference in the cost of drug therapy). Conclusion. The use of beta-iron (III) oxyhydroxide, sucrose, and starch complex in patients with CKD during the RRT is clinically and economically feasible, as it allows reducing the number of hospitalizations and is characterized by fewer pills taken daily, reducing the overall costs of patient treatment.