A third limitation of the study is that the model relied on expert opinion to estimate resource consumption for the management of advanced HCC and AE related to treatment. However, in the absence of real-life and published resource use data, the use of expert opinion is recognized as the next-best approach. At the same time, costs had only a marginal effect on the results in the sensitivity

analysis. Thus for advanced HCC patients currently facing no treatment options, sorafenib is the first and only treatment that offers the potential to increase both TTP and OS and is approved by the FDA. This analysis provides evidence of significantly improved effectiveness, at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $US62 473 per LY gained compared to BSC. As a survival-enhancing agent, sorafenib Dabrafenib in vitro can help fill an unmet need and extend treatment opportunities for advanced HCC patients, and is cost-effective compared beta-catenin assay to BSC. New technologies, including oncological agents, have become increasingly expensive. In the current health-care reform environment, policymakers are becoming increasingly cost-conscious and cost-effectiveness may therefore become an essential tool in the evaluation of new technologies in the USA

to achieve efficient distribution of resources. Declaration of interest: This study was supported by a grant from Bayer

HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. K. G. is directly employed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. B. C. has received unrestricted research grants from Bayer Healthcare; however, he has not received an honorarium to author this manuscript. S. C. and N. M. are employees of United BioSource Corporation. As a research organization, United BioSource Corporation constructed the original model upon which this article is based. United BioSource Corporation has undertaken similar projects for other pharmaceutical companies. The authors would like Pregnenolone to acknowledge the help of Edit Remak, Noemi Kreif, and Agnes Benedict from United BioSource Corporation in developing the model and in the statistical analysis, and Sarah Hearn from United BioSource Corporation for her help drafting the manuscript. “
“Aim:  This study was conducted to clarify the factors related to sustained virological response (SVR) to pegylated interferon α 2b (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy administered for 48 weeks in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (CHCV) and to evaluate the usefulness of prolonged treatment in patients with late virological response (LVR). Methods:  Of 2257 patients registered at 68 institutions, those with genotype 1 and high viral load were selected to participate in two studies.