A Retrospective Real-World Data (RWD) Study Comparing Healthcare Resource Utilization (HCRU) and Costs Associated With Intravenous and Subcutaneous Administered Oncology Biologics Using Administrative Claims Data

OBJECTIVES: An increasing volume of oncology agents are being approved in subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) formulations with positive implications for patients and providers. This study aims to assess the HCRU and costs for three oncology biologics (rituximab, trastuzumab, and daratumumab) by SC and IV administration.

METHODS: This retrospective RWD study utilized claims data from PharMetrics^® Plus (January 2016–June 2023). Inclusion criteria included: ≥18 years old; SC or IV oncology biologic treatment (January 2019–June 2022); and ≥2 medical claims ≥30 days apart. HCRU was defined as the mean number of visits, inpatient length of stay (LOS), and per-patient-per-month (PPPM) costs during 1-year post-index period. Data were reported descriptively.

RESULTS: The study included 12,607 patients with a median age of 58 years; most were female (70.8%). The median follow-up period was 24.4 months, and most patients received IV treatment (11,178). The two most common cancer diagnoses were breast (39.5%) and hematologic (32.0%). For rituximab and trastuzumab, the mean total number of all-cause inpatient, outpatient, emergency department (ED) visits were lower for SC vs IV (54.8 vs 69.5 and 95.5 vs 105.4, respectively). Mean LOS was lower for SC vs IV for rituximab (3.9 vs 5.8 days) and similar for trastuzumab (1.8 vs 1.8 days). For daratumumab, ED visits were lower for SC versus IV (1.0 vs 1.2); inpatient visits were similar (0.9 vs 0.9); and outpatient visits and inpatient LOS were greater for SC versus IV (110.9 vs 110.0 and 11.3 vs 9.3 days, respectively). Total all-cause PPPM costs were lower for SC versus IV for rituximab ($10,368 vs $11,818) and trastuzumab ($20,571 vs $22,754) but higher for daratumumab ($36,365 vs $33,713).

CONCLUSIONS: All-cause HCRU and costs between SC and IV oncology biologics were comparable; however, SC administration may result in lower total HCRU and costs for many patients with different cancer diagnoses.