1.Cost-effectiveness analysis of tafolecimab in patients with hypercholesterolemia
Tong LI ; Xinyue ZHANG ; Mengwen FENG ; Zhen FENG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(22):2815-2821
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tafolecimab in patients with hypercholesterolemia, and provide support for optimizing management strategies for hypercholesterolemia and healthcare resource allocation. METHODS From the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system, an 11-state mutually exclusive Markov cohort model was developed to simulate disease progression and prognosis in the target population. The model cycle was set to one year, with a 30-year time horizon. Transition probabilities between health states were derived from the CREDIT series of clinical trials, while health utility values and medical cost parameters were sourced from the statistical yearbook and published literature. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as the measure of health outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis was employed to calculate the incremental cost- effectiveness ratio (ICER) for three dosing regimens of tafolecimab [150 mg every 2 weeks (q2w), 450 mg every 4 weeks (q4w), and 600 mg every 6 weeks (q6w)] in combination with statins compared with control therapy (statins). Using 1-3 times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of China in 2024 as willingness-to-pay threshold(WTP), with a discount rate of 5%. Model robustness was assessed through one-way sensitivity analysis, probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis. RESULTS The 150 mg q2w regimen of tafolecimab yielded an ICER of 235 827.73 yuan/QALY, which was below the WTP (287 100 yuan/ QALY), indicating that the regimen was cost-effective. In contrast, the ICERs for the 450 mg q4w and 600 mg q6w regimens were 329 498.24 and 318 630.51 yuan/QALY, respec-tively, both exceeding the WTP and thus not cost-effective.One-way sensitivity analysis identified the discount rate as a key influencing factor. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that under the WTP set in this study, the probabilities of cost-effectiveness for the 450 mg q4w and 600 mg q6w regimens were 15.3% and 22.4%, respectively, while the 150 mg q2w regimen had an 85.2% probability of being cost-effective. The situational analysis revealed that, over a simulated time horizon of 5 to 30 years, the ICER of tafolecimab was progressively reduced compared with the control regimen. When the price of tafolecimab was lowered by more than 20%, all three dosing regimens were demonstrated to be cost-effective.CONCLUSIONS Under the current Chinese healthcare system, compared with statin monotherapy, tafolecimab (150 mg q2w) combination improves health outcomes in patients with hypercholesterolemia, and is cost-effective given the current WTP.
2.The long non-coding RNA uc.4 influences cell differentiation through the TGF-beta signaling pathway
Zijie CHENG ; Qijun ZHANG ; Anwen YIN ; Mengwen FENG ; Hua LI ; Hailang LIU ; Yun LI ; Lingmei QIAN
Experimental & Molecular Medicine 2018;50(2):e447-
In a previous study, we screened thousands of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) to assess their potential relationship with congenital heart disease (CHD). In this study, uc.4 attracted our attention because of its high level of evolutionary conservation and its antisense orientation to the CASZ1 gene, which is vital for heart development. We explored the function of uc.4 in cells and in zebrafish, and describe a potential mechanism of action. P19 cells were used to investigate the function of uc.4. We studied the effect of uc.4 overexpression on heart development in zebrafish. The overexpression of uc.4 influenced cell differentiation by inhibiting the TGF-beta signaling pathway and suppressed heart development in zebrafish, resulting in cardiac malformation. Taken together, our findings show that uc.4 is involved in heart development, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for CHD.

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