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lAL SECTION
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EYE
FEBRUARY 15, 2010 / Ophthalmology Times
Medication
Cyclosporine cost-effective,
improves life quality in analysis
Researchers cull data from two large trials for moderate to severe dry eye disease
By Nancy Groves
Reviewed by Melissa M. Brown, MD, MN, MBA
Philadelphia—The results of a utility analysis
of cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion
(Restasis, Allergan) show that it is highly cost-
effective and improves the quality of life in
patients with moderate to severe dry eye dis-
ease that is unresponsive to conventional lu-
bricant therapy.
'A lot of [ophthalmic]
treatments, even
expensive treatments,
are very cost-effective
because they so
improve the quality
of life.'
Melissa M. Brown, MD, MN, MBA
The study demonstrated that cyclosporine
provides a 4.2% improvement in quality of life
over conventional lubricant therapy, or vehi-
cle; therapy with the vehicle alone provides a
2.9% improvement.
"The vehicle itself creates value, improving
quality of life. However, adding the drug agent
further enhances the quality of life," said Me-
lissa M. Brown, MD, MN, MBA, president, and
chief executive officer of the Center for Value-
Based Medicine, Flourtown, PA. She was the
principal author of a study published in Archives
of Ophthalmology (2009;127:146-152). She also
works in the Department of Ophthalmology at
Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylva-
nia School of Medicine, Philadelphia.
To put the figures for total quality-of-life
Take-Home Message
A Center for Value-Based Medicine evaluation
has demonstrated that cyclosporine 0.05%
ophthalmic emulsion (Restasis, Aiiergan)
significantiy improves quaiity of iife and is cost
effective.
gains for cyclosporine in perspective. Dr. Brown
compared them with other medical therapies.
She pointed out that statins, widely used to
treat high cholesterol, are associated with a
4% gain, and that this value is based on im-
provements in both quality of life and length
of life, while cyclosporine and vehicle together
produce a 7.1% gain.
The comb