The economic burden of chronic neurological disease

Abstract

The overall burden of neurological disease on society is considerable and complex with individual effects on social functions, employment and health care provision as well as secondary effects on family members and carers. Whilst a number of novel interventions offer great promise to patients, it is evident that there is a finite limit to resources available to health services for the introduction of new therapies. As a result, there is a growing focus on data that can contribute to the measurement of overall societal value of potential interventions. Together with other metrics, economic data can be used to compare effects of new treatments on overall burden disease. These data can then contribute to statistical models that allow estimations of long-term treatment efficacy and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). In countries that employ cost-utility analysis for health technology assessment, these models have a fundamental influence on decisions regarding drug availability and reimbursement. More recently, economic data have been particularly significant in multiple sclerosis (MS) as new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have become available. However, these data are equally relevant for other neurological diseases currently lacking effective treatment options, on which significant research and development resources are now focused. The three papers discussed below explore some aspects of the economic burden of MS and Huntington’s disease (HD). In the first paper, the authors update economic data on the burden of MS as part of a Europe-wide study. The second paper looks at the cost of a clinical relapse in MS, whilst the third paper estimates the overall costs of HD.