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| Sarah Davis |
Alendronate is recommended as the first line treatment to prevent osteoporotic fractures, however long term adherence (both treatment compliance and persistence) is poor. Alternative bisphosphonates are available, which vary in frequency of use and/or route of administration, and have been shown to improve long-term adherence compared to oral alendronate. However, the most clinically effective and cost effective alternative regimen remains unclear. Furthermore, clinicians should optimise dosing regimens on the basis of the patient's understanding, preference and characteristics.
What is the most cost-effective in clinical trials may not be the most cost-effective or acceptable to patients in everyday clinical practice. In addition to evaluating the most effective and cost-effective alternative bisphosphonate regimens based on current evidence, the project will use EVPI and qualitative research to produce a list of ranked prioritised recommendations for further research into the effectiveness and acceptability of bisphosphonate treatment regimens.
The project is being led by Nottingham University with the economic component being led by Sarah Davis in HEDS, ScHARR. Additional collaborators are colleagues from Keele University, The National Osteoporosis Society and NHS clinicians. The project is funded by NIHR HTA.
The economic component of the project will use the Sheffield Osteoporosis Model, which was developed to inform NICE Guidance on the use of bisphosphonates to prevent fragility fracture
Sarah said: ''This project is important as the use of effective and cost-effective alternatives to alendronate will hopefully increase the number of patients persisting with treatment, and reduce the number of fragility fractures which are associated with considerable morbidity.''
Further information is available at: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/hta/NIHR127550/#/documentation