A cost-effectiveness analysis of eletriptan 40 and 80 mg versus sumatriptan 50 and 100 mg in the acute treatment of migraine

Objectives: This article explores the application of cost-effectiveness analysis in a comparison of eletriptan and sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine. Methods: The study employs data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparison of oral eletriptan (40 and 80 mg) and oral sumatriptan (50 and 100 mg). Analyses were undertaken using two composite measures of treatment outcome constructed to reflect the requirements of patients more comprehensively than the conventional efficacy indicator of headache response at 2 hours. On the cost side of the equation, reflecting the health-care system perspective of the analysis, drug costs for initial dosing, second dosing for non-response, and recurrence and rescue medication were taken into account. Results: The analysis found that eletriptan treatment resulted in lower costs per successfully treated attack than those of sumatriptan under both outcome criteria. Conclusion: Further refinement of outcomes measurement in migraine would be valuable and eletriptan has a potentially important role to play in the cost-effective management of the disorder.