Liting Wang1, Ye Peng1, Xiaohui Zeng2, Liubao Peng1, Sini Li1, Shuxia Qin1, Xiaomin Wan1, Chongqing Tan3. 1. Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. 2. PET-CT Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. 3. Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. tanchongqing@csu.edu.cn.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cemiplimab may significantly increase overall survival in the first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1 level of at least 50%. Therefore, there is a need to consider the cost-effectiveness of using this therapy for this indication. METHODS: This Markov model was built to estimate the cost and effectiveness of cemiplimab vs. chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC based on the data from the EMPOWER-Lung 1 trial. Life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs) and lifetime costs were estimated. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the model uncertainty. Additional subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: Treatment of advanced NSCLC with cemiplimab added 0.546 QALYs (1.492 LYs) and resulted in an incremental cost of $22,069.804 compared with chemotherapy, which was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $40,390.412 per QALY gained. The results of one-way sensitivity analysis found that the cost of cemiplimab was the most sensitive factor in our study. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the probability of cemiplimab being cost-effective was 100%. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that high PD-L1 expression (≥ 90%, > 60 to < 90% and ≥ 50 to ≤ 60%) also kept the incremental cost-effectiveness stable at $63,415.2450 per QALY, $61,896.446 per QALY and $-71,921.259 per QALY. CONCLUSION: From the perspective of US payers, cemiplimab is cost-effective in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC at the willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY.
INTRODUCTION:Cemiplimab may significantly increase overall survival in the first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1 level of at least 50%. Therefore, there is a need to consider the cost-effectiveness of using this therapy for this indication. METHODS: This Markov model was built to estimate the cost and effectiveness of cemiplimab vs. chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC based on the data from the EMPOWER-Lung 1 trial. Life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs) and lifetime costs were estimated. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the model uncertainty. Additional subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: Treatment of advanced NSCLC with cemiplimab added 0.546 QALYs (1.492 LYs) and resulted in an incremental cost of $22,069.804 compared with chemotherapy, which was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $40,390.412 per QALY gained. The results of one-way sensitivity analysis found that the cost of cemiplimab was the most sensitive factor in our study. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the probability of cemiplimab being cost-effective was 100%. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that high PD-L1 expression (≥ 90%, > 60 to < 90% and ≥ 50 to ≤ 60%) also kept the incremental cost-effectiveness stable at $63,415.2450 per QALY, $61,896.446 per QALY and $-71,921.259 per QALY. CONCLUSION: From the perspective of US payers, cemiplimab is cost-effective in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC at the willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY.