Medipost Receives Approval for SCI-Level Publication of Economic Evaluation Study on 'Cartistem' Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis Patients

by Lee Gwanju

Published 14 Oct.2022 10:08(KST)

Exterior view of Medipost headquarters in Pangyo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Medipost announced on the 14th that a study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of Cartistem for patients with knee osteoarthritis has been published in an SCI-level academic journal, showing that Cartistem is not only effective and efficacious but also economical.

The study involved Dong-chul Seo, Emeritus Professor at Chung-Ang University College of Pharmacy, and co-authors including Hong-chul Lim, Professor at Korea University Guro Hospital (currently at Seoul Barun Sesang Hospital), Myung-gu Kim, Professor at Inha University Hospital, Cheol-won Ha, Professor at Samsung Seoul Hospital, all of whom participated in the Cartistem Phase 3 clinical trial, as well as Brian Cole, a globally renowned sports orthopedic surgeon and team doctor for the NBA Chicago Bulls.

The study utilized Phase 3 clinical trial data of Cartistem conducted on 114 knee osteoarthritis patients with an average age of 55, observing patients' conditions over five years using a 5-point scale from the time of surgery.

The research team conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis from two perspectives: ▲healthcare system perspective and ▲societal perspective. The healthcare system perspective includes direct medical costs in evaluating cost-effectiveness, while the societal perspective adds costs related to pain experienced by patients and their families, as well as productivity loss costs (such as absenteeism and reduced work performance).

In the cost-utility analysis, QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year) was used as the evaluation index. QALY considers both qualitative and quantitative aspects of life, measuring how healthily one maintains life. Living one year in perfect health equals 1 QALY.

Through this, the economic evaluation using ICER (Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio) showed that the cost to achieve 1 QALY through Cartistem treatment was much lower than the maximum medical cost patients are willing to pay (WTP, Willingness To Pay) to realize 1 QALY, indicating high cost-effectiveness.

A Medipost official emphasized, “While most previous papers focused on the efficacy and effectiveness of Cartistem, this paper is the first to objectively prove both long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness,” and added, “Considering the quality of healthy life for middle-aged and older patients with knee osteoarthritis, Cartistem is expected to be the most effective treatment method at the best cost.”