Table 5

Breakdown of direct costs for pioglitazone versus placebo over a lifetime horizon

Cost (per patient)

Pioglitazone (€)

Placebo (€)

Difference (PIO – PLA) (€)

Treatment

22,941

20,151

2,790

Management

4,269

4,197

72

Total complication costs

78,223

79,486

-1,263

Total direct costs

105,433

103,834

1,599

Total direct medical costs were estimated as the sum of pharmacy costs based on resource use from PROactive, patient management costs (screening for retinopathy, nephropathy and foot ulcers), and the costs of all diabetes-related complications captured in the analysis. Values shown are means.

Scherbaum et al. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation 2009 7:9   doi:10.1186/1478-7547-7-9