1.Calcium channel modulators in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain:a rapid health technology assessment
Ning GAO ; Bing FENG ; Shengnan GAO ; Ranran ZHANG ; Yuxi ZHANG ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(8):1001-1007
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy, safety and economics of calcium channel modulators in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), and provide evidence-based evidence for clinical drug selection and decision-making. METHODS PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang data, VIP net, CBM and official websites of foreign health technology assessment (HTA) institutions were systematically searched to collect HTA reports, systematic review/meta-analyses, and pharmacoeconomic studies of pregabalin, gabapentin, crisugabalin, and mirogabalin for the treatment of DPNP. The timeframe for all searches was from the inception to June 2024. After data extraction and quality assessment, the results of the included studies were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS A total of 16 articles were included, involving 1 HTA report, 7 systematic reviews/meta- analyses, and 8 pharmacoeconomic studies. No studies on crisugabalin were retrieved. Compared with placebo, both pregabalin and mirogabalin reduced end point pain scores and increased the proportion of patients with ≥30% and/or ≥50% reduction in pain scores. Pregabalin also improved patient global impression of change (PGIC). Gabapentin was similar to placebo in reducing end point pain scores and increasing the proportion of patients with ≥30% and/or ≥50% reduction in pain scores, but gabapentin improved PGIC of patients. Compared with pregabalin, mirogabalin was more effective in the treatment of pain. The safety of pregabalin and mirogabalin was similar, and compared with placebo, both pregabalin and mirogabalin increased the risk of common adverse reactions such as dizziness and somnolence. The safety of gabapentin was similar to placebo and duloxetine. Compared with duloxetine, pregabalin and gabapentin were not cost-effective. Compared with gabapentin, pregabalin was cost-effective. Mirogabalin was cost-effective, as compared with placebo and pregabalin. CONCLUSIONS Pregabalin and mirogabalin are effective in the treatment of DPNP, the efficacy of mirogabalin is better than pregabalin, and the safety is similar between them. The economic conclusions vary from country to country, pending a pharmacoeconomic study based on our population.
2.Cost-utility analysis of benmelstobart plus anlotinib and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
Bing FENG ; Ning GAO ; Shengnan GAO ; Yuxi ZHANG ; Ranran ZHANG ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(5):579-583
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-utility of benmelstobart combined with anlotinib and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) from the perspective of China’s healthcare system. METHODS Based on the data from the ETER 701 study, a partitioned survival model was constructed with a cycle of 3 weeks to simulate the total cost, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) over 10 years for patients with ES- SCLC treated with benmelstobart plus anlotinib and chemotherapy, or chemotherapy alone. One-way sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed to verify the robustness of the simulation results. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was set at 3 times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of China in 2023, which amounted to 268 074 yuan/QALY. RESULTS Compared with chemotherapy alone, benmelstobart combined with anlotinib and chemotherapy gained 0.438 QALY more at the cost of 403 505.55 yuan more, with an ICER of 922 031.37 yuan/QALY, which was higher than the WTP threshold set in this study. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that benmelstobart’s cost and utility value of the progression-free survival state had a greater impact on the ICER value; probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the model; only when the price of benmelstobart was reduced by 75.4%, the combined regimen would be cost-effective. CONCLUSIONS The first-line treatment of ES-SCLC with benmelstobart combined with anlotinib and chemotherapy is not cost-effective from the perspective of China’s healthcare system at present.
3.Cost-utility analysis of capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with aromatase inhibitor as first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer
Ranran ZHANG ; Guoqiang LIU ; Yuxi ZHANG ; Shengnan GAO ; Ning GAO ; Bing FENG ; Ran LIU ; Qian LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(15):1893-1898
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with aromatase inhibitor (AI) versus AI monotherapy as first-line treatment for hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical therapeutic decision- making and healthcare policy formulation. METHODS Based on the MECCA trial, a partitioned survival model was constructed using a 4-week cycle length to simulate outcomes over patients’ lifetime. The model outputs included total costs, quality-adjusted life year (QALY), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the robustness of base-case results, while scenario analyses examined the cost-effectiveness of both treatment strategies under 10-year, 20-year, and lifetime time horizons. RESULTS With the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold set at 1 times China’s 2024 per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (95 749 yuan/QALY), patients receiving capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with AI regimen gained incremental utility (0.66 QALYs) while incurring higher costs, with ICER of 27 684.85 yuan/QALY. Results of the one-way sensitivity analysis showed that factors with significant impacts on ICER included the cost discount rate, drug costs of the capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with AI group, utility value in the progression-free survival state, follow-up costs, and treatment costs in the subsequent stablephase. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that when the WTP threshold ≥49 250 yuan/QALY, the capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with AI regimen had a 100% probability of being cost-effective. Scenario analysis results demonstrated that capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with AI regimen was more cost-effective than the AI alone regimen across 10-year, 20-year, and lifetime study horizons. CONCLUSIONS Under the premise that the WTP threshold is set at 1 times China’s per capita GDP in 2024, capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy combined with AI regimen is more cost-effective than the AI alone regimen as the first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.
4.Cost-effectiveness analysis of sacituzumab tirumotecan versus single-agent chemotherapy in second-line and later-line treatment for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
Ranran ZHANG ; Yuxi ZHANG ; Shengnan GAO ; Bing FENG ; Ning GAO ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(16):2024-2029
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of sacituzumab tirumotecan (ST) versus chemotherapy treatment physician’s choice (TPC) as second-line and later-line treatment for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) from the perspective of China’s healthcare system. METHODS A partitioned survival model was constructed based on the OptiTROP-Breast 01 trial, with a cycle length of 4 weeks and a time horizon of 10 years, applying a 5% discount rate. Quality adjusted life year (QALY) and costs were used as outcome measures, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of ST versus TPC for second-line and later-line treatment of mTNBC was calculated. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of the base-case results. RESULTS At a willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP) of 3 times China’s 2024 per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (287 247 yuan/QALY), patients receiving ST gained incremental utility (0.42 QALY) at a higher cost, yielding an ICER of 205 562.07 yuan/QALY, which was lower than WTP, indicating that ST was more cost-effective compared to TPC. One-way sensitivity analysis revealed that key factors influencing the ICER included the utility value of progression-free survival and the price of ST. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis showed that the base-case results were robust. CONCLUSIONS From the perspective of China’s healthcare system, at a WTP of 3 times China’s per capita GDP, ST is more cost-effective than TPC as second-line and later-line treatment for mTNBC.
5.Anemoside B4 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro and in vivo.
Mingyue XIAO ; Ronghua LUO ; Qinghua LIANG ; Honglv JIANG ; Yanli LIU ; Guoqiang XU ; Hongwei GAO ; Yongtang ZHENG ; Qiongming XU ; Shilin YANG
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2024;16(1):106-112
OBJECTIVE:
Anemoside B4 (AB4), the most abundant triterpenoidal saponin isolated from Pulsatilla chinensis, inhibited influenza virus FM1 or Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced pneumonia. However, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect of AB4 has not been unraveled. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the antiviral activity and potential mechanism of AB4 in inhibiting human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in vivo and in vitro.
METHODS:
The cytotoxicity of AB4 was evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay. SARS-CoV-2 infected HEK293T, HPAEpiC, and Vero E6 cells were used for in vitro assays. The antiviral effect of AB4 in vivo was evaluated by SARS-CoV-2-infected hACE2-IRES-luc transgenic mouse model. Furthermore, label-free quantitative proteomics and bioinformatic analysis were performed to explore the potential antiviral mechanism of action of AB4. Type I IFN signaling-associated proteins were assessed using Western blotting or immumohistochemical staining.
RESULTS:
The data showed that AB4 reduced the propagation of SARS-CoV-2 along with the decreased Nucleocapsid protein (N), Spike protein (S), and 3C-like protease (3CLpro) in HEK293T cells. In vivo antiviral activity data revealed that AB4 inhibited viral replication and relieved pneumonia in a SARS-CoV-2 infected mouse model. We further disclosed that the antiviral activity of AB4 was associated with the enhanced interferon (IFN)-β response via the activation of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-1) like receptor (RLP) pathways. Additionally, label-free quantitative proteomic analyses discovered that 17 proteins were significantly altered by AB4 in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections cells. These proteins mainly clustered in RNA metabolism.
CONCLUSION
Our results indicated that AB4 inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication through the RLR pathways and moderated the RNA metabolism, suggesting that it would be a potential lead compound for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.
6.Cost-utility analysis of dorzagliatin combined with metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with poor glycemic control with metformin
Ning GAO ; Bing FENG ; Shengnan GAO ; Shan GUO ; Mengna NIU ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(6):724-728
OBJECTIVE To assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of five glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP- 1RAs) in the treatment of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with metformin. METHODS Baseline data from patients in previously published meta-analysis and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were extracted to predict survival, long-term efficacy, and costs for each group using the United Kingdom prospective diabetes study outcome model 2.1. The cost-effectiveness of 5 GLP-1RAs (liraglutide, lixisenatide, exenatide, dulaglutide, and semaglutide) was analyzed by cost- utility analysis. Sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis were also performed to verify the uncertainty of basic analysis results. RESULTS A total of 21 RCTs with 6 796 patients were included. Survival analysis curves showed the superiority of semaglutide in reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and dulaglutide in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality over other GLP- 1RAs. The cost-utility analysis showed that the five drugs were economically superior to inferior in the order of lixisenatide, semaglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide; one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were robust. The scenario analysis results indicated that the price of semaglutide should decrease by at least 54.64% to 369.21 yuan, which is cost-effectiveness compared to lixisenatide. CONCLUSIONS For T2DM patients in China with poor glycemic control after treatment with metformin, lixisenatide and semaglutide may be considered as the preferred regimen.
7.Erythropoietic protoporphyria with liver cirrhosis as the main manifestation: A case report
Zhendong WU ; Guoqiang ZHOU ; Yan XIANG ; Xianling WANG ; Jiandong SU ; Sichun LIU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(3):581-584
Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited metabolic disease that often involves skin, blood, and nervous systems, and EPP with the main manifestations of severe liver damage and acute abdominal pain is extremely rare. By reviewing the clinical data and genetic testing results of a patient with EPP, this article discusses the clinical features and pathogenic genes of this disease, in order to improve the understanding of the disease among hepatologists and achieve early diagnosis and treatment.
8.Cost-effectiveness analysis of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
Bing FENG ; Ning GAO ; Shengnan GAO ; Shan GUO ; Mengna NIU ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(8):967-971
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. METHODS The data of RATIONALE-305 study and related literature were used to establish a partitioned survival model from the perspective of China’s health system. The cycle was 3 weeks, the simulation time was set as 10 years, and the discount rate was 5%. The quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as the health outcome indicator to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy versus placebo combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, and one-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were also conducted. RESULTS The base analysis showed that the patients received more 0.268 QALYs with tislelizumab plus chemotherapy, compared with placebo plus chemotherapy, but the cost increased by 70 404.81 yuan with an incremental cost- effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 262 431.62 yuan/QALY, which was less than three times China’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2023 as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold (268 074 yuan/QALY). One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the efficacy value of progress free survive and the price of tislelizumab had a greater impact on the ICER value. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that when the WTP threshold was 3 times China’s GDP per capita in 2023, the probability of tislelizumab being cost-effective was 53.3%. CONCLUSIONS When the WTP threshold is 3 times China’s GDP per capita in 2023, tislelizumab plus chemotherapy is cost-effective for first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, compared with placebo plus chemotherapy.
9.Evaluation of the correlation between diabetic retinopathy and diabetic ne-phropathy by emission computed tomography and clinical testing data via convolutional neural network
Juan TANG ; Qinghua LI ; Xiuying DENG ; Ting LU ; Guoqiang TANG ; Zhiwu LIN ; Xingde LIU ; Xiaoli WU ; Qilin FANG ; Ying LI ; Xiao WANG ; Yan ZHOU ; Biao LI ; Chuanqiang DAI ; Tao LI
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2024;44(2):127-132
Objective To evaluate the relationship between diabetic nephropathy(DN)and diabetic retinopathy(DR)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)based on imaging and clinical testing data.Methods Totally 600 T2DM patients who visited the First People's Hospital of Ziyang from March 2021 to December 2022 were included.The fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed on all these patients and their age,gender,T2DM duration,cardiovascular diseases,cerebrovascular disease,hypertension,smoking history,drinking history,body mass in-dex,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and other clinical data were collected.The levels of fasting blood glu-cose(FPG),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipo-protein cholesterol(LDL-C),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),24 h urinary albumin(UAlb),urinary albumin to creati-nine ratio(ACR),serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)were measured.Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors associated with DR.DR staging was performed according to fundus images,and the convolutional neural network(CNN)algorithm was used as an image analysis method to explore the correlation between DR and DN based on emission computed tomography(ECT)and clinical testing data.Results The average lesion area rates of DR and DN detected by the CNN in the non-DR,mild-non-proliferative DR(NPDR),moderate-NPDR,severe-NPDR and pro-liferative DR(PDR)groups were higher than those obtained by the traditional algorithm(TCM).As DR worsened,the Scr,BUN,24 h UAlb and ACR gradually increased.Besides,the incidence of DN in the non-DR,mild-NPDR,moderate-NPDR,severe-NPDR and PDR groups was 1.67%,8.83%,16.16%,22.16%and 30.83%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of T2DM,smoking history,HbA1c,TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,24 h UAlb,Scr,BUN,ACR and glomerular filtration rate(GFR)were independent risk factors for DR.Renal dynamic ECT analysis demonstrated that with the aggravation of DR,renal blood flow perfusion gradually decreased,resulting in diminished renal filtration.Conclusion The application of CCN in the early stage DR and DN image analysis of T2DM patients will improve the diag-nosis accuracy of DR and DN lesion area.The DN is worsening as the aggravation of DR.
10.Radiomics combined with CT features for distinguishing mycoplasma and non-mycoplasma pneumonia in children
Chao WANG ; Peng XU ; Guoqiang HUANG ; Xiaohui QIU ; Yichao LIU
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2024;21(3):155-159
Objective To observe the value of radiomics combined with CT features for distinguishing mycoplasma pneumonia(MP)and non-MP in children.Methods Data of 153 children with pneumonia were retrospectively analyzed.The children were divided into MP group(n=101)and non-MP group(n=52)according to mycoplasma RNA detection,and also were divided into training set(n=107,including 71 MP and 36 non-MP)and validation set(n=46,including 30 MP and 16 non-MP)at the ratio of 7∶3.CT findings were compared between groups.Six best CT features were selected in training set using F test algorithm,and a CT model was constructed using logistic regression(LR)method.The best radiomics features were extracted and screened in training set,and machine learning(ML)models were constructed using LR,support vector machine(SVM),random forest(RF),linear discriminant analysis(LDA)and stochastic gradient descent(SGD)classifiers,respectively.Based on the best CT features and radiomics features,CT-ML models were constructed using the above classifiers.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,and the areas under the curve(AUC)were calculated,the efficacy of each model for distinguishing MP and non-MP was evaluated.Results Lesions involved the upper,middle and lower lobe of right lung,thickened bronchial wall,tree bud sign and edge retract sign were the best CT features.AUC of CTLR was 0.710,of MLLR,MLSVM,MLRF,MLLDA and MLSGD in validation set was 0.715,0.663,0.623,0.706 and 0.494,respectively,and MLLR was the optimal radiomics model.AUC of CT-MLLR,CT-MLSVM,CT-MLRF,CT-MLLDA and CT-MLSGD in validation set was 0.813,0.823,0.649,0.796 and 0.665,respectively,and CT-MLSVM was the optimal CT-ML model.In training set,AUC of CT-MLSVM(0.840)was higher than that of CTLR and MLLR model(AUC=0.713,0.740,both P<0.05).In validation set,no significant difference of AUC was found among CTLR,MLLR and CT-MLSVM(AUC=0.710,0.715 and 0.823,all P>0.05).Conclusion Radiomics combined with CT features could effectively distinguish MP and non-MP in children.

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