Microvolt T-Wave Alternans Testing Improves Cost Effectiveness of ICDs
BEDFORD, Mass.--(Business Wire)--March 14, 2006--
Award Winning Presentation at American College of Cardiology shows that use of MTWA Testing in MADIT II patients can effectively reduce costs
Cambridge Heart, Inc. (OTCBB-CAMH) today reported on a
presentation at The American College of Cardiology given by Dr. Paul Chan from the VA Center for Practice Management & Outcomes Research, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. The objective of the study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) therapy in MADIT II eligible patients with and without risk stratification using Microvolt T-Wave Alternans.
Three treatment strategies were evaluated, medical therapy alone, ICDs for all, and the utilization of Microvolt T-Wave Alternans as a risk stratification tool to provide ICDs for non-negative MTWA patients only.
A Markov model was utilized to simulate a range of variables
influencing the cost-effectiveness of ICD implantation including the initial cost of ICD implant, cost of MTWA testing, complications, ICD replacements, death rates, etc. The results of the simulations revealed an Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of $88,700 per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) in the ICDs FOR ALL strategy as compared to the use of MTWA risk stratification. The use of MTWA in risk stratifying the population resulted in a $48,800 ICER as compared to medical management.
Dr. Paul Chan commenting on the study said, "We performed this analysis because the potential cost implication of ICD therapy is immense with an estimated incremental societal cost of $2.9 billion per year as compared to standard medical therapy, just for MADIT II eligible patients. As 82 % of the potential benefit of the ICDs was achieved by implanting ICDs into the 67% of patients who were MTWA non negative, the data suggests that the use of risk stratification make good sense, potentially saving $700 million per year in the MADIT II
population alone."
Commenting for the company, David Chazanovitz, President and CEO of Cambridge Heart said, "We applaud Dr. Chan's efforts. The results of this study validate the common sense approach which suggests that placing expensive, life saving therapy is much more cost effective when you risk stratify the population into patients who are unlikely to benefit from the ICD from those who will benefit most from the therapy. We also congratulate Dr. Chan with the announcement at the end of the day that his study won first place in the ACC's prestigious
Young Investigators Awards Competition."
At Cambridge Heart, Inc.
Roderick de Greef, 781-271-1200 x231
roderickd@cambridgeheart.com
or
At Consulting for Strategic Growth
Stanley Wunderlich, 800-625-2236
info@csfg1.com
