Cost implications of introducing an alternative treatment for XXXX with osteoarthritis of the knee in a managed care setting.

@entity1 @entity571
OBJECTIVES: To illustrate the current cost of treating @entity571 ( @entity571 ) of the knee and to demonstrate potential savings associated with the new treatment modality of viscosupplementation in a managed care setting. STUDY DESIGN: Pharmacoeconomic model with inputs obtained from peer-reviewed medical literature, clinical trial data, clinical expert opinion, and claims data. METHODS: A spreadsheet-based model was developed to define a treatment pathway for @entity571 of the knee, illustrate the current costs of treating @entity1 with the condition, and demonstrate the potential savings associated with introduction of Hylan G-F 20. A hypothetical cohort of @entity1 categorized as having mild, moderate, or severe @entity571 of the knee was followed over a 3-year time period. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of a managed care plan with a large Medicare population. RESULTS: The 3-year savings associated with adding 1 or more courses of Hylan G-F 20 therapy to the standard treatment pathway for @entity571 of the knee was  8,810,771. The total savings per @entity571 @entity1 receiving Hylan G-F 20 was  4706. The number of total knee replacements (TKRs) avoided was 808. The model was highly sensitive to the durability of Hylan G-F 20; increasing and decreasing durability within a reasonable range resulted in 3-year savings of  9,131,879 and  2,012,082, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hylan G-F 20 has proven to be an effective treatment for @entity1 with @entity571 of the knee. Appropriate use of Hylan G-F 20 could delay the need for TKRs and generate savings in the managed care setting.
