Cost-Effectiveness of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Using a Balloon-Expandable Valve in Japan: Experience From the Japanese Pilot Health Technology Assessment

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an innovative and effective treatment in high-surgical-risk (HR) and inoperable patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Objectives: This cost-effectiveness analysis of transfemoral TAVI (TF-TAVI) compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) conforms with the methodological guidelines for cost-effectiveness evaluation by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in Japan. Methods: The cost-effectiveness of TF-TAVI using SAPIEN XT was evaluated using a lifetime Markov simulation from the national payer perspective. Comparators were SAVR for HR patients and standard of care (SOC) for inoperable patients. A systematic literature review for clinical evidence of TF-TAVI and comparators was conducted. The evidence for TF-TAVI was derived from the SOURCE XT registry and Japanese post marketing surveillance. Because there was no literature directly or indirectly comparing TF-TAVI using SAPIEN XT with comparators, the comparator data were selected from relevant published studies, considering the similarity of study eligibility criteria and patient backgrounds (eg, age and surgical risk scores). Sensitivity analyses were used to validate the robustness of results. Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of TF-TAVI versus SAVR for HR patients was (sic)1.3 million/quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of TF-TAVI versus SOC for inoperable patients was (sic)3.5 million/QALY. Conclusions: TF-TAVI was cost-effective when compared with SAVR for HR patients and when compared with SOC for inoperable patients, using a threshold of (sic)5 million/QALY.