Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the socio-economic impact of introducing Ocrelizumab for the treatment of relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Algeria, adopting a societal perspective to integrate often-overlooked indirect costs.
METHODS: The research was conducted in two phases: A systematic review and retrospective analysis of international data (UK, Germany, Canada) documenting the economic savings associated with the molecule. Analysis with a statistical model of data extracted from field survey across 7 healthcare institutions in 6 Algerian Wilayas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 24 neurologists and over 50 MS patients and their relatives. Data from a cohort of 1,592 patients was analyzed for the 2021/2022 period , consisting of 77.26% relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 22.74% primary progressive MS (PPMS). Based on international insights, local analysis prioritized non-drug parameters: community services, informal care, and productivity loss.
RESULTS: In the primary progressive MS (PPMS) cohort, 5-year quantitative modeling demonstrated that Ocrelizumab significantly lowered costs compared to untreated scenarios, yielding substantial socio-economic savings: informal care saved 106,592,790 DZD (total cost: 649,230,227 DZD) ; community services saved 50,257,255 DZD (total cost: 360,290,918 DZD) ; and unemployment/productivity loss saved 31,470,462 DZD (total cost: 456,706,698 DZD). For the broader Algerian disease burden annual non-drug costs for PPMS vs. RRMS forms were distributed as follows: informal care represented 106M vs. 127M DZD ; productivity loss amounted to 31M vs. 94M DZD ; and community services reached 50M vs. 86M DZD.
CONCLUSIONS: Ocrelizumab offers substantial socio-economic benefits in Algeria for patients, healthcare professionals, and the healthcare system. This study demonstrates the critical importance for decision-makers to include a societal perspective and indirect costs in future healthcare technology and pharmacoeconomic evaluations.