Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of Zanamivir Treatment on Productivity, Health Status and Healthcare Resource Use in Patients with Influenza

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
PharmacoEconomics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the impact of zanamivir treatment on patient morbidity in patients with influenza.

Design and setting: This was a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study conducted in 14 countries in Europe and North America during the winter of 1995/1996.

Patients and participants: The study included 722 individuals with virologically confirmed influenza.

Interventions: Two different zanamivir treatment regimens [twice daily (bid) or 4 times daily (qid) for 5 days] were compared with placebo.

Main outcome measures and results: Efficacy was measured using a number of patient-assessment questionnaires. Results showed that significantly fewer patients with influenza who were treated with zanamivir had additional contacts with healthcare professionals compared with those who received placebo (8 vs 14%; p ≤ 0.049, bid and qid vs placebo). Individuals treated with zanamivir also spent fewer days absent from work (placebo: mean = 3.28 days; qid: mean = 2.52 days; p = 0.031) or college/school (placebo: mean = 2.90 days; bid: mean = 2.24 days; p = 0.032), and showed significant improvements in productivity compared with placebo. The health status questionnaire revealed significant improvements in patient well-being over the first 5 days of the study in those treated with zanamivir compared with those who received placebo.

Conclusions: Zanamivir treatment reduced absenteeism, improved patient productivity and well-being, and reduced the additional use of healthcare resources in patients with influenza.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Table I
Table II
Fig. 1
Table III
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. US Centers for Disease Control. Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1998; 47 (no. RR-6)

  2. Levy E. French economic evaluations of influenza and influenza vaccination. Pharmacoeconomics 1996; 9 Suppl. 3: 62–6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Szucs TD. Influenza: the role of burden-of-illness research. Pharmacoeconomics 1999; 16 Suppl. 1: 27–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Office of Technology Assessment, US Congress. Cost effectiveness of influenza vaccination. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1981. Report No.: 052–003-00855–6

    Google Scholar 

  5. Liu C, Air GM. Selection and characterization of a neuraminidase-minus mutant of influenza virus and its rescue by cloned neuraminidase genes. Virology 1993; 194: 403–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Woods JM, Bethell RC, Coates JAV, et al. 4-guanidino 2, 4-dideoxy-2, 3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid is a highly effective inhibitor both of the sialidase (neuraminidase) and of growth of a wide range of influenza A and B viruses in vitro. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1993; 37: 1473–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hayden FG, Rollins BS, Madren LK. Anti-influenza virus activity of the neuraminidase inhibitor 4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en in cell culture and in human respiratory epithelium. [published erratum appears in Antiviral Res 1994; 25: 287] Antiviral Res 1994; 25 (2): 123–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hayden FG, Albert DME, Osterhaus DVM, et al. Efficacy and safety of the neuraminidase inhibitor zanamivir in the treatment of influenza virus infections. N Engl J Med 1997; 337: 874–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Monto AS, Fleming DM, Hendry D, et al. Efficacy and safety of the neuraminidase inhibitor, zanamivir, in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. J Infect Dis 1999; 180: 254–61

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ware JE, Nelson EC, Sherbourne CD, et al. Preliminary tests of a 6-item general health survey: a patient application. In: Stewart AL, Ware JE, editors. Measuring functioning and wellbeing: the Medical Outcomes Study approach. Durham (NC): Duke University Press, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ware JE, Kosinski M, Dewey JE, et al. How to score and interpret single-item health status measures: a manual for users of the SF6 and SF8 health surveys. Lincoln (RI): Quality Metric Incoroporated, 1999

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hays RD, Stewart AL. Sleep measures. In: Stewart AL, Ware JE, editors. Measuring functioning and well-being: the Medical Outcomes Study approach. Durham (NC): Duke University Press, 1992: 235–59

    Google Scholar 

  13. The MIST Study Group. Randomised trial of efficacy and safety of inhaled zanamivir in treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. Lancet 1998; 352: 1877–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Fleming D, Makela M, Pauksens K, et al. ’High risk’ and otherwise healthy patients demonstrate alleviation of influenza symptoms 2.5 days earlier following inhaled zanamivir treatment; European study;Winter 1997/8 [abstract no.789]. 36th meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America: 1998 Nov 12–15; Denver (CO), 249

  15. Lalezari J, Klein T, Stapleton J, et al. The efficacy and safety of inhaled zanamivir of influenza in otherwise healthy and ’high risk’ individuals in North America [abstract no. P8]. In: Abstracts of the 21st International Congress of Chemotherapy; 1999 Jul; Birmingham. JAC 1999; 44 Suppl. A: 42

    Google Scholar 

  16. Silagy CA, Griffin AD, Lacey LA, et al., on behalf of MIST. Impact of zanamivir on health status, productivity and health care resource use in patients with influenza [abstract]. Clin Infect Dis 1998; 27 (4): 926

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mauskopf JA, Cates SC, Griffin AD. A pharmacoeconomic model for the treatment of influenza. Pharmacoeconomics 1999; 16 Suppl. 1: 73–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Schoenbaum SC, McNeil BJ, Kavet J. The swine-influenza decision. N Engl J Med 1976; 295: 759–85

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development.

We would like to thank the following people: Drs G. Adam, E. Barbaix, L. De Lille, V. Formato, M. Pollet and H. van Pottelbergh (Belgium); Drs F. Aoki, G. Boivin, E. Brankston, B. Clecner, J. Dylewski, K. Forward, P. Orr, C. St-Pierre, J. Simonsen, R. Ward, K. Williams and D. Zoutman (Canada); Drs T. Hviid, A. Jorgensen, N. Mosbaek, H. Ohlenschlaeger, M. Makela and T. Rostila (Denmark); Drs M. Behar, R. Benady, M. Chelly, J. Cozic, F. Dupont, P. Huin, J. Luciani, C. Rebelle, A. Serrero, A. Simmons, P. Triot and R. Yaeche (France); Drs H. Becker, D. Berger, P. Klinger, H. Kuhl, D. Schmikale, A. Schwall and S. Tomingas (Germany); Professor P. Crovari, Dr F. Pregliasco and Professor P. Urbano (Italy); Dr R. de Groot (The Netherlands); Drs P. Christensen, H. Gjessing, H. Hauge, K. Innvik, K. Lund, O. Sand and H. Skjerven (Norway); Drs M. Alonso, A. Dalfo, L. De Marcos and M. Palomo (Spain); Drs C. Ahlm, M. Glimaker, Associate Professor B. Ljungberg, Dr K. Pauksens and Associate Professor T. Sandberg (Sweden); Drs J. Adelglass, R. Andruczk, S. Becker, T. Bock, G. Bottenfield, R. Hardoin, H. Resnick, A. Brown, D. Bukstein, S. Campbell, F. Cole, G. Collins, M. Conway, P. Craven, B. deBoisblanc, R. Desai, V. Elinoff, R. Emerson, J. Felicetta, L. Gilderman, D. Gold, A. Graff, J. Grossman, F. Hayden, D. Henry, W. Henry, R. Holloway, S. Kelsen, T. Klein, R. Kobayashi, P. Krumpe, C. Macy, A. Mangione, E. Meltzer, D. Mikolich, A. Monto, C. Briefer, A. Morrison, J. Morton, J. O’Rourke, S. Pace, B. Pogue, P. Ratner, J. Rhudy, E. Riffer, P. Ripley, J. Rubino, G. Ruoff, J. Ryder-Benz, J. Schoenberger, H. Serfer, G. Settipane, D. Skoner, J. Stapleton, W. Stein, J. Stone, J. Tan, C. Van Hook, V. Wender, J. Wheeler and M. Yocum (USA); and Drs M. Duffy, D. Fleming, P. Horn, D. Khan, K. Nicholson, O. O’Toole (England); Dr J. Hosie (Scotland); and Dr H. Thomas (Wales).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Fred Y. Aoki

  2. Northfield Health Centre, Birmingham, England

    Douglas M. Fleming

  3. Global Health Outcomes, Glaxo Wellcome R & D, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 0HE, England

    Adrian D. Griffin, Loretto A. Lacey & Sally Edmundson

Authors
  1. Fred Y. Aoki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Douglas M. Fleming
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adrian D. Griffin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Loretto A. Lacey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sally Edmundson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adrian D. Griffin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aoki, F.Y., Fleming, D.M., Griffin, A.D. et al. Impact of Zanamivir Treatment on Productivity, Health Status and Healthcare Resource Use in Patients with Influenza. Pharmacoeconomics 17, 187–195 (2000). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200017020-00007

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200017020-00007

Keywords

Search

Navigation