ITULAZAX^® versus Alutard SQ^® in the treatment of allergic rhinitis induced by pollen from the birch homologous group: A cost‐minimization modeling analysis from the Danish societal perspective

Abstract

Background and aims Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disorder triggered by an allergic immune response to inhaled allergens. Birch pollen is the major allergenic tree pollen in parts of Europe. ITULAZAX® is a sublingual immunotherapy tablet for the treatment of adults with moderate‐to‐severe AR and/or conjunctivitis induced by pollen from the birch homologous group. The aim was to compare the costs of treating AR with ITULAZAX® versus subcutaneous ALUTARD SQ® Betula verrucosa (ALUTARD SQ®) from a Danish societal perspective. Methods A cost‐minimization model was developed to capture costs of allergy immunotherapy (AIT), interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs) in three different care settings (general practice, allergy specialist, and hospital), and indirect costs arising from absenteeism and presenteeism. The cost‐minimization analysis was conducted over a 3‐year time horizon with costs reported in 2021 Danish Kroner (DKK) and Euros (EUR) based on the European Central Bank 365‐day average exchange rate. One‐way sensitivity analyses were performed. Results The base case analysis showed that the total cost of treatment over 3 years was estimated to be DKK 49,117 (EUR 6598) per patient with ALUTARD SQ®, compared with DKK 30,996 (EUR 4164) with ITULAZAX®, reflecting a cost saving of DKK 18,121 (EUR 2434) per patient with ITULAZAX® over 3 years. Over the 3‐year time horizon, costs of AIT were predicted to increase by DKK 17,928 (EUR 2408) with ITULAZAX®, while costs of interactions with HCPs were predicted to decrease by DKK 22,528 (EUR 3027) versus ALUTARD SQ®, more than offsetting the increased cost of ITULAZAX®. Conclusions Given the equivalent effectiveness of the two AIT products, and the cost savings with ITULAZAX® versus ALUTARD SQ® from a Danish societal perspective, ITULAZAX® should be considered as a cost‐saving alternative to ALUTARD SQ® for the treatment of birch pollen‐induced moderate‐to‐severe AR in adults.