Budget Model: Adjuvanted Shingles Vaccine Could Prevent Thousands of Cases at Low Cost

A large integrated delivery network’s adoption of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix) could avoid thousands of cases of herpes zoster, and associated complications, for a low incremental per-member per-month cost, according to a poster presented at the recent AMCP Nexus 2019: The Intersection of Value and Care meeting.

“In October 2017, Shingrix, adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV), was approved for herpes zoster prevention in adults 50 years and older by the Food and Drug Administration, joining Zostavax, zoster vaccine live (ZVL), as US-marketed vaccines against herpes zoster,” researchers explained in the poster model. “A budget impact model was created to inform population-based decision makers about incremental value of RZV adoption.”

The budget impact model used in the study accounted for numerous factors, including epidemiological data into herpes zoster incidence and complications, vaccine characteristics such as efficacy and adverse event rates, and cost averages. 

For a health plan with approximately 1.4 million people age 50 and older, RZV adoption would avoid about 8800 cases of herpes zoster in 5 years, 33,900 cases in 10 years, and 71,600 cases in 15 years, according to the poster. About 800 cases of postherpetic neuralgia could be avoided in  5 years, 3100 cases in 10 years, and 6500 cases in 15 years.

Across 4.1 million plan members, the estimated incremental per-member per-month cost would be 41 cents at 5 years after adoption, 34 cents at 10 years, and 26 cents at 15 years.

“The results suggest,” researchers added, “that these health gains would increase and that the costs incurred would decrease over longer time horizons.”

The poster was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA.

 —Jolynn Tumolo

Reference:
Patterson B, Herring W, Van Oorschot D, et al. Public Health and Economic Impact of Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine Adoption for a Large, Integrated Delivery Network: Utilizing Real-World Epidemiological Data in a Budget Impact Model. Poster presented at AMCP Nexus 2019: The Intersection of Value and Care; October 29-November 1, 2019; National Harbor, MD. Poster B1.