Economic impact of treatments for controlling symptoms associated with rhinitis: An evaluation of Narivent® vs standard therapy

Rationale and aim: Upper airway disorders, like allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, are common nasal conditions affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), in particular, has been increasing in the last decades. The pervasiveness of this disorder therefore imposes a large burden both on individual patients and the society. A wide range of drugs exists for symptomatic treatment of rhinitis, such as corticosteroids, decongestants, and antihistamines, but standard therapies are often associated with several side effects. A new class of medical devices, based on bio-mechanically innovative triggers, has been proven to have a good clinical effectiveness with lower adverse reactions, particularly over prolonged administration periods. The present study aims at evaluating the economic impact of rhinitis, with respect to direct and indirect costs, and analysing the use of the medical device Narivent® compared to standard therapies to manage the symptoms of this illness. Methods: Via a Monte Carlo simulation study, data on disease prevalence, drug prescription and cost of both the specific therapeutic approach and the adverse events treatment will be combined to provide an estimate of the overall cost of the pharmacotherapy as compared with Narivent®. Results: Lowering the impact of adverse reactions related to standard therapy through the use of novel therapeutic approaches like Narivent®, might reduce the overall burden of rhinitis by about 5 billion per year. Conclusion: The use of the medical device Narivent®, as an alternative approach to manage symptoms associated with rhinitis, may contribute to bring down its costs by about 3.5% yearly as compared to the standard therapy.