Economic impact of Enterosgel® in the hospital treatment of diarrhoeal syndromes associated with different disease conditions

Abstract

Background: Enterosorbents are orally administered materials which pass through the gut where they bind various substances. In a randomized clinical trial, the efficacy and safety of enterosorbent Enterosgel® in the treatment of non-infectious diseases with diarrhoea have been proved. Objective: To assess the cost impact of Enterosgel® in the treatment of hospitalized patients with non-infectious diseases with diarrhoea adopting a cost/minimization approach. Methods: A cost analysis was conducted considering the hospital’s perspective. The analysis compared the treatment costs (drugs and hospital stays) of Enterosgel® in addition to the standard of care (SoC) to SoC alone. The main analysis focused on the comparison between the two therapeutic strategies regarding the economic valorization of hospital stays, while the secondary analysis estimated the hospital organizational efficiency with regard to the annual bed turnover. Results: Reducing the duration of inpatient admission, compared to SoC alone, Enterosgel® in addition to SoC let the hospital obtain a greater valorization of the hospital stays (range: € 68.54-€ 558.60). The shorter duration of inpatient admission results in an increased number of hospital admissions per year. For example, assuming a 10-bed ward, the total hospital annual gain would be € 82,616. Conclusions: Enterosgel® in addition to SoC is cost saving, allowing the hospital to achieve greater efficiency in managing patients with non-infectious diseases with diarrhoea.