New evaluation of therapies finds gastrointestinal-related cost differences.

2003 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a new analysis, gastrointestinal (GI)-related medical expenses for osteoporosis patients initiating therapy with Fosamax (alendronate sodium tablets) were nearly three times higher than for those patients initiating therapy with Actonel (risedronate sodium tablets). The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE).

The evaluation assessed the medical costs to managed care organizations for outpatient visits (e.g., hospital outpatient and physician office visits), inpatient care (e.g., hospitalization) and prescriptions for gastro-protective agents, over the first 4 months of therapy. In this analysis, the average monthly cost for GI-related medical treatment was $2.52 per Actonel patient, compared to $7.40 per Fosamax daily patient and $7.50 per Fosamax weekly patient. Inpatient visits - typically expensive components in overall medical care - were 0.2 visits (per 100 patients per month) for Actonel, and 1.2 and 1.6 visits (per 100 patients per month) for Fosamax daily and Fosamax weekly, respectively.

"Extent of inpatient care was the main reason for the difference in GI-related medical costs," said Natalie Borisov, PhD, health economist at P&G Pharmaceuticals, who led the evaluation. "GI-related medical costs are a factor that managed care organizations take into consideration when ...