To review published pharmacoeconomic evaluations of escitalopram.
Data Sources:
MEDLINE, EMBASE, Health Star, and Ovid Journals databases were searched using escitalopram, cost, cost-effectiveness, and economics as search terms. All articles and abstracts published from January 2003 to April 2006 were reviewed and cross-referenced for possible exclusions or duplications. Searches were not limited to English-language publications.
Study Selection and Data Extraction:
One prospective economic study and 10 studies using decision analytical models assessing the cost-effectiveness of escitalopram compared with citalopram and/or venlafaxine were identified and reviewed.
Data Synthesis:
Pharmacoeconomic studies using country-specific currency economic analysis from Europe and Canada have been conducted assessing the cost-effectiveness of escitalopram in major depression. Several studies have shown escitalopram to be more cost-effective compared with citalopram, with cost savings identified in societal and healthcare system perspectives. However, the cost-effectiveness of escitalopram was less significant when compared with venlafaxine.
Conclusions:
Economic studies suggest that escitalopram is cost-effective compared with citalopram in treatment of major depression, but has marginal advantage compared with venlafaxine.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BertoPD'IlarioDRuffoPDi VirgilioRRizzoF. Depression: Cost-of-illness studies in the international literature, a review. J Ment Health Policy Econ2000; 1: 3–10.
2.
KesslerRCBerglundPDemlerO, The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA2003; 289: 3095–105.
3.
WangPSSimonGKesslerRC. The economic burden of depression and the cost-effectiveness of treatment. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res2003; 12: 22–33.
4.
IsaacM.Where are we going with SSRIs?Eur Neuropsychopharmacol1999; 9 (suppl 3): S101–6.
5.
WaughJGoaK. Escitalopram: A review of its use in the management of major depressive and anxiety disorders. CNS Drugs2003; 17: 343–62.
6.
ChenFLarsenMBSanchezCWiborgO.The S-enantiomer of R,S-citalopram, increases inhibitor binding to the human serotonin transporter by an allosteric mechanism. Comparison with other serotonin transporter inhibitors. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol2005; 15: 193–8.
7.
GormanJMKorotzerASuG. Efficacy comparison of escitalopram and citalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder: Pooled analysis of placebo-controlled trials. CNS Spectrum2002; 7: 40–4.
8.
AuquierPRobitailSLlorcaPMRiveB. Comparison of escitalopram and citalopram efficacy: A meta-analysis. Int J Psych Clin Pract2003; 7: 259–68.
9.
EinarsonTR. Evidence based review of escitalopram in treating major depressive disorder in primary care. Int J Psychopharmacol2004; 19: 305–10.
10.
AzorinJMLlorcaPMDespiegelNVerpillatP. Escitalopram is more effective than citalopram for the treatment of severe major depressive disorder. Encephale2004; 30: 158–66.
11.
MontgomerySAHuusomAKTBothmerJ. A randomized study comparing escitalopram with venlafaxine XR in primary care patients with major depressive disorder. Neuropsychobiology2004; 50: 57–64. DOI 10.1159/000078225
12.
BielskiRJVenturaDChangCC. A double-blind comparison of escitalopram and venlafaxine extended release in the treatment of major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry2004; 65: 1190–6.
13.
StewartWFRicciJACheeEHahnSRMorgansteinD. Cost of lost productive work time among US workers with depression. JAMA2003; 289: 3135–44.
14.
ThomasCMMorrisS. Cost of depression among adults in England in 2000. Br J Psychiatry2003; 183: 514–9.
15.
GreenbergPEStiglineLEFinkelsteinSNBerndtER. The economic burden of depression in 1990. J Clin Psychiatry1993; 54: 405–18.
16.
HenrikssonFJonssonB.Halsoekonomiska aspekter pa depressionssjukdomen. In: AsbergMBengtssonFHagbergB, eds. Behandling av depressionssjukdomar. En systematisk litteraturoversikt. SBU Rapport: 2004: 403–36.
17.
HemelsMEKorenGEinarsonTR. Increased use of antidepressants in Canada: 1981–2000. Ann Pharmacother2002; 36: 1375–9. DOI 10.1345/aph.1A331
18.
CroomKFPloskerGL. Escitalopram. A pharmacoeconomic review of its use in depression. Pharmacoeconomics2003; 21: 1185–209.
19.
HemelsMEHKasperSWalterEEinarsonTR. Cost-effectiveness analysis of escitalopram: A new SSRI in the first-line treatment of major depressive disorder in Austria. Curr Med Res Opin2004; 20: 869–78.
20.
HemelsMEHKasperSWalterEEinarsonTR. Cost-effectiveness of escitalopram versus citalopram in the treatment of severe depression. Ann Pharmacother2004; 38: 954–60. Epub 27 Apr 2004. DOI 10.1345/aph.1E010
21.
HemelsMEHRocchiAKennedySRousseauM. Economic evaluation of first-line treatment for depression in primary care: A Canadian probabilistic cost-effectiveness model. Can J Clin Pharmacol2005; 12: e45.
22.
HemelsMEHKaramustafalyogluOOzmenEDisladSMeneS. Cost-effectiveness analysis of escitalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder in Turkey. Value in Health2005; 8: 392. DOI 10.1111/j.1524–4733.2005.08304.x
23.
HemelsMEHSorensenJStageKBDamsboNLelayA.Probabilistic cost-effectiveness model of escitalopram compared with citalopram and venlafaxine in the first-line treatment of major depressive disorder in Denmark. A Seminar in Denmark.2005.
24.
LöthgrenMHemelsMEHFrancoisCJonssonB. A cost-effectiveness analysis of escitalopram as first line treatment of depression in Sweden. Primary Care Psychiat2004; 9: 153–61.
25.
WadeAGToumiIHemelsMEH. A probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis of escitalopram, generic citalopram and venlafaxine as a first-line treatment of major depressive disorder in the UK. Curr Med Res Opin2005; 21: 631–42.
26.
WadeAGToumiIHemelsMEH. A pharmacoeconomic evaluation of escitalopram versus citalopram in treatment of severe depression in the United Kingdom. Clin Ther2005; 27: 486–96.
27.
DemyttenaereKHemelsMEHHudryJAnnemansL. A cost-effectiveness model of escitalopram, citalopram, and venlafaxine as first-line treatment for major depressive disorder in Belgium. Clin Ther2005; 27: 111–24.
28.
KulpWvon der SchulenburgJMGreinerW. Cost-effectiveness of outpatient treatment in depressive patients with escitalopram in Germany. Eur J Health Econ2005; 6: 317–21. DOI 10.1007/s10198-005-0306-1
29.
FernandezJLMontgomerySFrancoisC. Evaluation of the cost effectiveness of escitalopram versus venlafaxine XR in major depressive disorder. Pharmacoeconomics2005; 23: 155–67.
