Is trastuzumab a cost-effective treatment for breast cancer?

Abstract

Trastuzumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that is currently approved for the treatment of HER2-neu-positive breast cancer. From a clinical perspective, it is an effective treatment with a relatively favorable benefit/risk profile. From an economic perspective, trastuzumab is an expensive treatment that is associated with high drug acquisition cost. Overall, it appears to provide reasonable ‘value for money’ (i.e., is cost-effective), especially in the adjuvant as opposed to the palliative setting. Trastuzumab’s cost–effectiveness appears to be driven primarily by trastuzumab costs and the magnitude of benefit derived. Longer follow-up of clinical trials is, therefore, required to better estimate the long-term benefits associated with adjuvant trastuzumab, and its true cost–effectiveness in the treatment of HER2-neu-positive breast cancer.

Keywords::

• breast cancer
• clinical trial
• cost–effectiveness
• cost–utility
• trastuzumab

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Daniel Rayson and Dr Alwin Jeyakumar for their critical review of the manuscript, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Dr Younis has previously served as a consultant and received honoraria from Roche (manufacturer of trastuzumab). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.