Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to impose a significant burden on Brazil’s healthcare system and society. A recent study highlights the economic and clinical advantages of adopting acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as the standard of care for mild AD patients over more expensive pharmacological alternatives.
Economic Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease in Brazil
Projected costs for dementia care in Brazil are expected to escalate sharply, reaching $49.2 billion by 2030 and increasing to $77.3 billion by 2050. These figures underscore the urgent need for cost-effective treatment strategies that can alleviate the financial strain on both the healthcare system and families.
Cost-Effectiveness of Standard Treatments
The study employed a decision-analytic model over a 20-year horizon, comparing standard acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with best supportive care and newer treatments like lecanemab and donanemab. Results indicate that the standard care approach not only provides clinical efficacy but does so at a substantially lower cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained.
• Standard of care demonstrated a cost per QALY of $5,211, making it significantly more affordable compared to lecanemab and donanemab, which cost $2,098,225 and $1,460,400 per QALY respectively.
• The high costs associated with newer treatments like lecanemab and donanemab may limit their accessibility and sustainability within Brazil’s healthcare framework.
Economic evaluations like this are crucial for informing policy decisions and ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently to maximize patient outcomes and system sustainability.
Adopting acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as the standard treatment for mild AD presents a viable strategy for managing Alzheimer’s disease in Brazil. By balancing clinical effectiveness with cost-efficiency, healthcare providers can better support patients and their families while mitigating the financial impact on the national healthcare system.
Implementing such cost-effective treatments can pave the way for broader healthcare reforms aimed at tackling neurodegenerative diseases, ensuring that advancements in medical care are both accessible and sustainable in the long term.
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