ECONOMIC-ANALYSIS OF EPILEPSY TREATMENT - A COST MINIMIZATION ANALYSIS COMPARING CARBAMAZEPINE AND LAMOTRIGINE IN THE UK

New anti-epileptic drugs differ from existing standard therapies not i n their clinical efficacy, but in their side-effects profiles. To dete rmine the relative economic value of these agents, one must compare dr ug costs, costs Of resources employed in the management of adverse eve nts, and costs associated with therapeutic switching. In this economic analysis, carbamazepine (CBZ) and lamotrigine (LTG) are evaluated in monotherapy treatment of partial and/or general tonic-clonic seizures in the UK. Adverse event and tolerability data are obtained from a pub lished randomized controlled trial of CBZ vs. LTG. A Delphi panel of c linicians advised treatment patterns for adverse events. Cost data are obtained from public sources. Results show that CBZ therapy costs abo ut one-third of LTG therapy (pound 179 for CBZ vs. pound 522 for LTG) even after the costs associated with the management of adverse events and therapeutic switching are considered.