Estimation of potential cost savings associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular hospitalization among atrial fibrillation/flutter patients treated with dronedarone in the ATHENA trial.

The aim of this study was to estimate, from a US payer perspective, potential cost savings resulting from the reduction in cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations obtained with dronedarone in the ATHENA (A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel Arm Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Dronedarone 400 mg bid for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Hospitalization or Death from any Cause in PatiENts with Atrial Fibrillation/Atrial Flutter) trial. ATHENA randomized atrial fibrillation/flutter patients to dronedarone (n=2301) or placebo (n=2327) plus standard care. Dronedarone significantly reduced first CV hospitalization/all-cause mortality over 12-30 months of follow-up. CV hospitalization costs (2008 values) from a US cohort of ATHENA-like atrial fibrillation/flutter patients with Medicare supplemental insurance (n=10,200) and diagnosis-related group costs of adverse event-related hospitalizations were applied to hospitalizations occurring in ATHENA. The impact of cost variation was assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. In ATHENA, dronedarone reduced the overall CV hospitalization rate (vs. placebo) by 29% over the first 12 months (33.36 vs. 47.19 events per 100 patients) and by 25% over the full study (51.15 vs. 68.55 events per 100 patients). Adverse event-related hospitalization rates (dronedarone vs. placebo) were low (0.48 vs. 0.21 and 0.56 vs. 0.26 events per 100 patients over 12 months and the full study, respectively). Overall hospitalization cost savings were estimated at $1329 and $1763 per patient over 12 months and the full study, respectively. Cost savings were relatively stable [mean (95% confidence interval): $1330 ($994-$1676) for the first 12 months and $1763 ($1369-$2184) for the full study] over 10,000 cycles of random variation.