Objective: Stroke is associated with a high risk of death and cardiovascular events. Rehabilitation therapy is critical for functional recovery, to reduce hospital readmissions, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and stroke recurrence (long-term outcomes). Post-stroke spasticity may prevent effective recovery by restricting mobility. AbobotulinumtoxinA is an adjunctive therapy to physical therapy for post-stroke spasticity, but its long-term effects are unknown. The objective was to model the long-term clinical and economic outcomes of abobotulinumtoxinA for post-stroke spasticity.
Methods: Effects of abobotulinumtoxinA on treating post-stroke spasticity and evidence linking functional outcomes with long-term outcomes were collected in a focused literature review. A model was developed to estimate health benefits on long-term outcomes, direct medical costs, life- and qualityadjusted life-years for abobotulinumtoxinA injections plus rehabilitation therapy compared with rehabilitation therapy alone, from a UK perspective over a 10-year time-period.
Results: AbobotulinumtoxinA + rehabilitation therapy led to a risk reduction of 8.8% for all-cause mortality, and an increase of 13% in life-years and 59% in quality-adjusted life-years compared with rehabilitation therapy alone. AbobotulinumtoxinA + rehabilitation therapy was considered cost-effective compared with rehabilitation therapy alone (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio: £24,602).
Conclusion: AbobotulinumtoxinA + rehabilitation therapy may improve long-term outcomes, including post-stroke survival, while being cost-effective for the treatment of post-stroke spasticity.