Economic Evaluation of Nebivolol in the Treatment of Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To examine the economic consequences of effective antihypertensive treatment using the novel vasodilating beta1-adrenoceptor antagonist nebivolol (Nebilet) from the perspective of the healthcare provider. METHODS: The evaluation was based on a postmarketing surveillance study in Germany involving 8682 moderately hypertensive patients. Using the Framingham Risk Model, the antihypertensive effectiveness of nebivolol after 6 weeks of treatment was extrapolated to estimate the reductions in 10-year risks of cardiovascular events. Data sources included direct costs for medical and invasive cardiovascular interventions in Germany, costs of therapy in the US and the UK, and estimates on the prevalence of cardiovascular events issued by the American Heart Association. RESULTS: Six-week antihypertensive treatment resulted in a DBP reduction of 13.7 mm Hg. The rate of responders, defined as those patients achieving DBP <90 mm Hg, was 70%. SBP was reduced by 26.1 mm Hg. According to the Framingham Risk Model, 313 deaths would be avoided. Coronary heart disease (CHD) could be reduced by 94 cases (from 1339 to 1245 events) and 150 strokes would be avoided (from 518 to 368 events) in a 10-year period. This reduction of 244 cardiovascular events among the 8682 patients investigated corresponded to cost savings of between Euro 250,000 and Euro 2.5 million, depending on the healthcare environment and the intervention applied. CONCLUSION: Treatment of moderately hypertensive patients with nebivolol can be considered cost effective. Nebivolol has the potential to decrease the overall long-term costs of medical care for patients with hypertension.