Health Economics Evaluation of Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir for a First-Line Treatment of HIV-1 Infection in China.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the economic value of Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir (B/F/TAF) as a first-line treatment for HIV-1 infection in China, where such evaluations are currently lacking.

Patients and methods: We developed a monthly-cycle Markov model to evaluate the economics of B/F/TAF versus dolutegravir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC) as a first-line ART for adult HIV-1 patients over a lifelong time. The social costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental net monetary benefit (INMB), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) have been analyzed using health economic methods. Sensitivity analyses were conducted for the result validation. Taking into account the transmissibility of HIV, we have developed a scenario within a dynamic model across the entire population in China, to conduct a health economic evaluation of the two drugs over 30 years. Model precision was tested using relative standard deviation (RSD).

Results: In the Markov model, B/F/TAF had higher per-person costs compared to DTG/3TC ($44,381.33 vs $42,160.13), but also resulted in greater QALYs (11.6771 vs 11.5389), leading to a per-person INMB of $3072.26 (WTP = 3GDP) and an ICER of $16,052.42 per QALY. Uncertainty analyses confirmed the robustness of these results. The dynamic model further indicated that B/F/TAF was both cost-benefit and cost-effective, with a per-person INMB of $7.33 (WTP = 3GDP) and an ICER of $7,953.72 per QALY, although it exhibited a higher RSD.

Conclusion: After adopting the B/F/TAF regimen in China, the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention and treatment have significantly improved. We should advocate for B/F/TAF as the first-line treatment to enhance HIV management.