Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs in Germany

The aim of this pharmacoeconomic study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of pimobendan compared to generic benazepril for the treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs in Germany. A Markov model was developed including all the relevant disease stages and which reflected the treatment patterns used in Germany. The observation period was one year. The chosen effectiveness parameters were survival time (life days) and time without symptoms of heart insufficiency. Transition probabilities define the progression of the disease and the impact of the treatment and were mainly derived from published randomized clinical studies, The costs of drugs and veterinary services were defined from official price and veterinary tariff lists, valid as of 2009. The mean total costs of therapy were is an element of 472.21 and is an element of 285.23 for dogs on pimobendan and benazepril, respectively. During the one-year observation period, the mean survival time for dogs on pimobendan was 274 days and 129 days for dogs on benazepril. After one year, 51% of dogs on pimobendan were still alive but less than 4% of dogs on benazepril. The cost for one life day gained with pimobendan was calculated to be 1.29. The costs for one day of treatment were less with pimobendan* (is an element of 1.72) than benazepril (is an element of 2.21). Correspondingly, the lower total therapy costs associated with benazepril were merely attributed to the shorter survival times. On average, dogs on pimobendan spent 86 days without symptoms of heart insufficiency, whereas dogs on benazepril spent 15 days without symptoms. Comprehensive sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness and transferability of the results to various dogs and different clinic structures.