Cost-effectiveness of rituximab as maintenance therapy in patients with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma after responding to first-line rituximab plus chemotherapy

Abstract

A recent phase III trial demonstrated that maintenance rituximab® therapy after response to first-line treatment with rituximab plus chemotherapy (R-chemo) increases progression-free survival (PFS) for follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (f-NHL). A cost-effectiveness analysis of R-maintenance versus observation was conducted from a US payer perspective to estimate PFS and overall survival (OS) over a representative patient's lifetime. Primary outcomes were cost per life-year gained (LYG) and cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Compared with observation, R-maintenance increased mean PFS by 1.50 years, OS by 1.21 years and QALYs gained by 1.11 years. The incremental cost of maintenance therapy was $38 545. The costs per LYG and QALY gained were $31 934 and $34 842, respectively. Within the limitations of modeling long-term outcomes, R-maintenance therapy in patients who received R-chemo for previously untreated f-NHL compared with observation alone after R-chemo for first-line treatment for f-NHL is cost-effective from the US payer perspective.

Keywords::

• Cost-effectiveness
• rituximab
• follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Acknowledgement

The study was funded by Genentech, Inc.

Potential conflict of interest

Disclosure forms provided by the authors are available with the full text of this article at www.informahealthcare.com/lal