Cost-effectiveness of immunosuppressants for kidney transplantation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A case study assessing the cost-effectiveness of maintenance immunosuppressive therapy for kidney transplantation in UK adults: adjusting for patient non-adherence using data from a clinical trial and the real world within a decision-analytic model
IRAS ID
265178
Contact name
Abualbishr Alshreef
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
- What is already known about this topic and why is it important?
Patients non-adherence to medications after having kidney transplantation can be so serious that the transplanted kidney may be rejected, or they may need to return to intensive treatment (kidney dialysis) or they may even die.
Many methods have been suggested to account for non-adherence; however, not enough is known about the link between non-adherence, health outcomes and cost-effectiveness.- How will you carry out your study?
The aim of the case study is to find out the cost-effectiveness of drugs taken by kidney transplant patients in the long-term. This involves looking at their actual adherence to these drugs in the real world. This will then be used to work out what is the benefit that would have been observed in a previously conducted trial if everyone in that trial adhered to take the drugs in the same way as they did in the real world.- How will you decide which patients are included in your study?
All adult patients who received drugs to maintain the functioning of their newly transplanted or re-transplanted kidneys (known as immunosuppressants) and have their information available via the UK Transplant Registry (UKTR) database will be included.- How many patients do you anticipate including?
Approximately 4500-9000 incident transplant or re-transplant patients.- For how long will you follow up these patients?
I will use patients’ follow-up information for the past five years (2013-2017) to see how they have been taking their drugs.- What new information will your study generate and how will this benefit patients?
This research will benefit patients, the public and the NHS. The findings will provide the scientific basis for researchers to account for the effects of non-adherence in the cost-effectiveness of drugs used in kidney transplantation.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0847
Date of REC Opinion
15 May 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion