Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pharmacological Treatment With Insulin and Insulin Analogs for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Colombia.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness relationship of insulins and insulin analogs in diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2), from the perspective of the Colombian health system.

Methods: A short-term decision tree model (SM) was built, the outcome of which was severe/nocturnal hypoglycemia, and a long-term Markov model for quality-adjusted life-years. The probabilities were calculated through a literature review of effectiveness and safety. The costs are estimated from official databases. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results: For DM1, in prandial insulins, and for both models, the cost-effective interventions (CEIs) are aspartate and lispro. In basal insulins, the CEIs are NPH and glargine U-100 in both models. In the comparison of detemir and NPH, detemir generates lower nocturnal hypoglycemia and higher quality-adjusted life-years; however, in the long-term Markov model, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio exceeds the threshold. For DM2, in the prandial insulin, and for both models, aspartate is a CEI and the glargine U-300 is also a CEI in the SM. In basal insulin, the CEIs are glargine U-100 and detemir (for nocturnal hypoglycemia) in both models and glargine U-300 is also a CEI in the SM. Finally, in the group of combinations, iGlarLixi is dominant over IDegLira.

Conclusions: The results favor the use of analog insulins over human insulins, the former reducing the possibility of acute events and chronic complications to a greater extent.