Cost utility of the latest antipsychotics in severe schizophrenia (CUtLASS): a multicenter, randomized controlled trial

Lewis SW, Davies L, Jones PB, Barnes TRE, Murray RM, Kerwin R, taylor D, Hayhurst KP, Markwick A, Lloyd H, Dunn G
Record ID 32001000766
English
Authors' objectives:

To determine the clinical and costeffectiveness of different classes of antipsychotic drug treatment in people with schizophrenia responding inadequately to, or having unacceptable side-effects from, their current medication.

Authors' recommendations: For band 1, there is no disadvantage in terms of quality of life and symptoms, or associated costs of care, over 1 year in commencing conventional antipsychotic drugs rather than new atypical drugs. Conventional drugs were associated with nonsignificantly better outcomes and lower costs. Drug costs represented a small proportion of the overall costs of care (<5%). For band 2, there is a statistically significant advantage in terms of symptoms but not quality of life over 1 year in commencing clozapine rather than new atypical drugs, but with increased associated costs of care. The results suggest that conventional antipsychotic drugs, which are substantially cheaper, still have a place in the treatmentof patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of, current medication. Further analyses of this data set are planned and further research is recommended into areas such as current antipsychotic treatment guidance, valid measures of utility in serious mental illness, lowdose ‘conventional’ treatment in first episode schizophrenia, QLS validity and determinants of QLS score in schizophrenia, and into the possible financial and other mechanisms of rewarding clinician participation in trials.
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/1078
Year Published: 2006
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Schizophrenia
Contact
Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme
Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK
Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk
Copyright: 2009 Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO
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