Degarelix, approved in the USA in 2008, is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, representing one of the latest additions to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
ADT is used as first-line therapy for locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer with the aim to reduce testosterone to castrate levels. Like other gonadotropin-releasing hormone-antagonists, degarelix treatment results in rapid decrease in luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone levels without the associated risk of flare. Using one registration trial for degarelix with leuprolide as the active control, a cost-effectiveness analysis with a Markov model and a 20-year time horizon found the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for degarelix to be US$245/quality-adjusted life years. Degarelix provides a cost-effective treatment for ADT among patients with locally advanced prostate cancer.
Written by:
Hatoum HT, Crawford ED, Nielsen SK, Lin SJ, Marshall DC. Are you the author?
Hind T Hatoum & Company, 155 N Harbor Drive, 1912, Chicago, IL 60601, USA.
Reference: Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res. 2013 Apr;13(2):261-70.
doi: 10.1586/erp.13.13
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23570437
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