Cost-effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin for relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma in China

Abstract

Objectives

Systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (sALCL) is a rare hematological malignancy with poor prognosis, which is associated with a significant economic burden. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in comparison to conventional chemotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory sALCL, from a Chinese healthcare perspective.

Methods

A partitioned survival model with three health states (progression-free survival, post-progression survival, and death) was adapted to compare BV against chemotherapy. Comparator represented a basket of commonly used chemotherapies in China. Two cohorts in each arm were estimated, representing patients receiving no transplant and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) after BV or chemotherapy. Clinical data was obtained from the pivotal phase-II trial (NCT00866047) for BV and also from the literature for a comparator. Resource use items covered drug acquisition and administration; concomitant medications; ASCT; treatment of adverse events; and long-term follow-up. Cost parameters were based on Chinese sources. Outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Both costs and effects were discounted at 5% according to Chinese guidelines. The impact of uncertainty was evaluated using deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Results

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for BV vs. chemotherapy was $9,610 (¥62,084) per QALY in the base case. The main model driver was superior progression-free and overall survival benefits of BV. The ICERs were relatively robust in the majority of sensitivity analyses, ranging around ±10% of the base case. Under the conventional decision thresholds (1–3 times of Chinese per capita GDP), the probability of BV being cost-effective ranged from 56 to 100%. Limitations of the study included the lack of comparative data from the trial and the small and heterogeneous sample due to its disease nature.

Conclusions

BV may be a cost-effective treatment vs. chemotherapy in treating relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma in China.

Keywords:

• Brentuximab vedotin
• systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
• cost-effectiveness analysis
• relapsed or refractory
• chemotherapy

JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES:

• I11
• I1
• I
• I00

Transparency

Declaration of funding

This research was financially supported by Takeda (China) International Trading Co., Ltd.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

L.H.C. was employed by GongJing Healthcare and received funds from Takeda (China) International Trading Co., Ltd. to conduct the analysis. L.Z. is an employee of Takeda (China) International Trading Co., Ltd.

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Authors contributions

L.H.C. and L.Z. were responsible for the conception and design of the project. L.H.C. and J.L. were responsible for the analysis and development of the model. All authors participated in critically reviewing and interpreting the data. All authors critically reviewed the manuscript for intellectual content and all authors approved the final version for publication submission. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Han-I Wang, University of York, for her assistance in manuscript preparation.