Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Cost-Effectiveness of Early vs Delayed Belimumab Treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors' conclusion
In this economic evaluation of early vs delayed belimumab in biologic-naive patients with active SLE, early initiation was associated with improved health outcomes and reduced costs.
Study context
- Population
- Modeled cohort of biologic-naive adult systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with active disease (SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 score >0); mean (SD) age 41 (11) years at belimumab initiationmodeled cohort
- Participants
- 1,000 participants
- Comparison
- Early vs delayed initiation of intravenous belimumab
- Outcome
- Total direct medical costs, QALYs, ICER and INMB
- Follow-up
- 15-year horizon
Methodological detailscost-utility analysis, Markov model with monthly cycles, 15-year horizon, US payer perspective, probabilistic sensitivity analyses, deterministic sensitivity analyses
- Cost-utility analysis
- Markov model with monthly cycles
- 15-year horizon
- US payer perspective
- Probabilistic sensitivity analyses
- Deterministic sensitivity analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
QALYs, incremental costs, ICER and INMB per patient
- Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) per patient
- incremental QALYs 0.30 QALYs (95% UI −0.42 to 1.39)
- QALYs, incremental costs, ICER and INMB per patient
- incremental cost -$126 337.12 per patient (95% UI -$910 010.39 to $168 383.94)
- Favorable ICER
- ICER -$421 123.73 per QALY
- At a $50 000 per QALY threshold
- mean INMB $141 337.12 (95% UI -$157 997.53 to $925 019.51)
- Early initiation preferred in simulations
- 81.3% (8125 of 10 000 simulations)
Further findings
Deterministic sensitivity analyses: most influential parameters
- INMB range by time horizon (1-year to lifetime)
- $6351.07 to $156 497.12
- INMB range by SRI-4 response OR (1.08 to 3.47)
- $69 741.68 to $209 591.09
Original publication
Cost-Effectiveness of Early vs Delayed Belimumab Treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. JAMA Netw Open. Published 2 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →