Cost-Effectiveness of Vonoprazan-Based and Rifabutin-Based vs Other Regimens as First-Line Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection in the United States

INTRODUCTION: The economic and clinical implications of eradicating Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) with vonoprazan-based and rifabutin-based regimens vs other existing prepackaged first-line treatment options in the United States are unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of vonoprazan-based and rifabutin-based and other prepackaged regimens for the first-line treatment of H. pylori from the perspective of US healthcare payers. METHODS: We used the state-transition Markov model to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of H. pylori eradication with clarithromycin triple, bismuth quadruple, vonoprazan dual, vonoprazan triple, and rifabutin triple regimens. In a cycle length of 2 months, the model estimated the expected costs (expressed in 2022 US$), expected quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, and expected net monetary benefit over 20 years. In addition, we accounted for the present value of future costs and QALY by applying a 3% discounting rate. RESULTS: In this study, rifabutin triple therapy had a lower expected cost but was more effective than clarithromycin triple, bismuth quadruple, and vonoprazan dual regimens; hence, it dominated them. Vonoprazan triple therapy had a higher expected cost (US$ 1,172 vs US$ 1,048) and expected QALY (14.262 vs 14.256) than rifabutin triple therapy, yielding an estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$ 22,573/QALY. The study suggested that vonoprazan triple treatment had the highest expected net monetary benefit and was the most cost-effective at willingness-to-pay thresholds between US$50,000 and US$150,000 per QALY, followed by rifabutin triple therapy. DISCUSSION: H. pylori infection eradication with vonoprazan triple therapy would provide the greatest net health and monetary benefit from the perspective of US healthcare payers.