Economic Evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease Interventions

Economic evaluation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) compares the costs and outcomes of interventions to inform resource allocation and policy. Core methodologies include cost–effectiveness and cost–utility analyses, often expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Analytic perspectives range from health-care payers to societal, incorporating direct medical costs, social care and informal caregiver burden. Modelling approaches such as Markov and discrete-event simulation project long-term trajectories of disease progression under different treatment scenarios. Interventions span symptomatic pharmacotherapies, disease-modifying therapies targeting amyloid or tau pathology, diagnostic biomarkers, and preventive measures addressing modifiable risk factors. Economic evidence guides pricing negotiations, reimbursement decisions and equitable access, highlighting global disparities and the need for affordability strategies in high-cost therapies.

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Economic Evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease Interventions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in economic evaluation of alzheimer's disease interventions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Quality-adjusted life-year (QALY): A composite measure of life expectancy weighted by health-related quality of life, used to assess intervention value.

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER): The additional cost per additional unit of health outcome (for example, per QALY gained) when comparing two interventions.

Markov model: A mathematical framework that simulates patient progression through discrete health states over time, capturing transition probabilities and costs.

Cost–utility analysis: An economic evaluation that compares interventions based on cost per QALY, facilitating comparisons across different health conditions.

Disease-modifying therapy (DMT): A treatment intended to alter the underlying pathophysiology of AD, delaying progression rather than solely relieving symptoms.

References

1. The affordability of lecanemab, an amyloid-targeting therapy for Alzheimer's disease: an EADC-EC viewpoint. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2023).
2. Effective interventions for potentially modifiable risk factors for late-onset dementia: a costs and cost-effectiveness modelling study. The Lancet Healthy Longevity (2020).
3. Mild Cognitive Impairment: Statistical Models of Transition Using Longitudinal Clinical Data. International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (2012).
4. Evaluation of the Cost-effectiveness of Drug Treatment for Alzheimer Disease in a Simulation Model That Includes Caregiver and Societal Factors. JAMA Network Open (2021).