THE HIDDEN SOCIETAL BURDEN OF CHRONIC SPONTANEOUS URTICARIA IN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH KOREA, AND TAIWAN: A COST-OF-ILLNESS STUDY...
Author(s)
Jia Hao Wong, MPH1, Bhuvaneswari S, MPH2, Louise Hogg, BSc, MA3.
1Ipsos Pte Ltd, singapore, Singapore, 2Senior Consultant, Market Access & HEOR, APAC, Ipsos Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 3Ipsos Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore.
1Ipsos Pte Ltd, singapore, Singapore, 2Senior Consultant, Market Access & HEOR, APAC, Ipsos Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 3Ipsos Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore.
OBJECTIVES: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a chronic inflammatory condition causing recurrent hives and/or angioedema persisting more than six weeks without an identifiable trigger. The socioeconomic impact of CSU on patients is underrecognized. This study estimated the societal cost of CSU in Australia, South Korea and Taiwan disaggregated by perspective, to quantify the true burden and to inform market level policy.
METHODS: A prevalence-based, annual cost-of-illness model was developed following ISPOR guidelines, adopting a societal perspective with results disaggregated by payer and patient perspective. Costs were grouped by direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs (productivity loss via the human capital approach plus unpaid caregiving). Inputs were informed by targeted literature review and interviews with 4 specialists per market conducted March-April 2026. Costs are in 2025 USD.
RESULTS: An estimated 568,992 patients live with CSU across the three markets, incurring a combined societal cost of USD 5.39 billion (0.06%-0.28% of GDP). Per-patient annual cost ranges from USD 4,944 (South Korea) to USD 6,292 (Taiwan) and USD 17,408 (Australia). Direct medical cost represents 14%-25% of total per-patient cost depending on the market; patients and households bear 31-44% of the true burden through out-of-pocket payments, and unpaid caregiving. Cost drivers differ by market: Australia was dominated by indirect productivity loss (56%) from high wages and pre-biologic delays up to three years; South Korea by high out-of-pocket biologic costs; Taiwan by non-medical costs and the unpaid caregiving load (13.4 hours/patient/month).
CONCLUSIONS: Much of the societal cost of CSU falls outside the payer budgets that shape policy. Payer-perspective evaluation captures only a minority of the welfare effect. These findings suggest that conventional cost analyses systematically understate CSU's burden, and that market-specific policy attention could redirect inefficiently absorbed spending toward better patient outcomes.
METHODS: A prevalence-based, annual cost-of-illness model was developed following ISPOR guidelines, adopting a societal perspective with results disaggregated by payer and patient perspective. Costs were grouped by direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs (productivity loss via the human capital approach plus unpaid caregiving). Inputs were informed by targeted literature review and interviews with 4 specialists per market conducted March-April 2026. Costs are in 2025 USD.
RESULTS: An estimated 568,992 patients live with CSU across the three markets, incurring a combined societal cost of USD 5.39 billion (0.06%-0.28% of GDP). Per-patient annual cost ranges from USD 4,944 (South Korea) to USD 6,292 (Taiwan) and USD 17,408 (Australia). Direct medical cost represents 14%-25% of total per-patient cost depending on the market; patients and households bear 31-44% of the true burden through out-of-pocket payments, and unpaid caregiving. Cost drivers differ by market: Australia was dominated by indirect productivity loss (56%) from high wages and pre-biologic delays up to three years; South Korea by high out-of-pocket biologic costs; Taiwan by non-medical costs and the unpaid caregiving load (13.4 hours/patient/month).
CONCLUSIONS: Much of the societal cost of CSU falls outside the payer budgets that shape policy. Payer-perspective evaluation captures only a minority of the welfare effect. These findings suggest that conventional cost analyses systematically understate CSU's burden, and that market-specific policy attention could redirect inefficiently absorbed spending toward better patient outcomes.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Value in Health, Volume 55, Issue S1
Code
EE106
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
SDC: Sensory System Disorders (Ear, Eye, Dental, Skin), STA: Biologics & Biosimilars