Economic Impact of Trastuzumab and Its Biosimilars for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Real-World Study in the US
Author(s)
Riddhi Markan, MSc1, Shreosi Sanyal, PhD2, Abhimanyu Roy, MBA1, Abhinav Nayyar, MBBS, MBA1, Vikash K. Verma, MBA, PharmD1, Arunima Sachdev, MA1, Rahul Goyal, BS Tech3, Louis Brooks Jr, MA4, Marissa Seligman, BS Pharma5;
1OPTUM, GURGAON, India, 2OPTUM, HYDERABAD, India, 3OPTUM, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 4OPTUM, Bloomsbury, NJ, USA, 5OPTUM, Boston, MA, USA
1OPTUM, GURGAON, India, 2OPTUM, HYDERABAD, India, 3OPTUM, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 4OPTUM, Bloomsbury, NJ, USA, 5OPTUM, Boston, MA, USA
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: The treatment landscape for HER2-positive breast cancer has evolved significantly with the advent of trastuzumab, a targeted therapy that has significantly improved patient outcomes. However, the associated economic burden has garnered significant attention due to its financial implications. With the introduction of biosimilars, there is a growing need to understand the economic impact for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers. This study aims to evaluate and compare the standard costs and healthcare resource utilization of trastuzumab and its biosimilars for the treatment of HER2- positive breast cancer patients.
METHODS: Optum® de-identified Market Clarity database was used for this study, with the first use of trastuzumab or its biosimilars considered as index events. The identification period was from 1st January 2019 to 30th June 2023, with 12 months of pre- and post-index periods. Following the implementation of continuous eligibility and exclusion criteria, 8,888 patients aged ≥18 years were recognized. Separate cohorts were built for trastuzumab and its biosimilars for a comparative study. Outliers were systematically identified and excluded from the dataset to enhance the precision and robustness of the analysis. An exploratory analysis was conducted, where the annual standard cost per patient and healthcare resource utilization were examined.
RESULTS: The annual cost per patient dropped by around 55% (p<0.0001) for biosimilars compared to trastuzumab. The percentage of patients with at least one visit to the emergency and inpatient department were 36% and 35% for trastuzumab-treated patients, vs. 41% and 38% for biosimilars-treated patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The cost reduction with the use of biosimilars enhances patient access to essential treatment and alleviates financial burden. However, an increased rate of patients in emergency and inpatient departments in the case of biosimilar treatment as compared to trastuzumab treatment warrants further analysis on the effectiveness of biosimilar treatments regarding overall healthcare costs and patient outcomes.
METHODS: Optum® de-identified Market Clarity database was used for this study, with the first use of trastuzumab or its biosimilars considered as index events. The identification period was from 1st January 2019 to 30th June 2023, with 12 months of pre- and post-index periods. Following the implementation of continuous eligibility and exclusion criteria, 8,888 patients aged ≥18 years were recognized. Separate cohorts were built for trastuzumab and its biosimilars for a comparative study. Outliers were systematically identified and excluded from the dataset to enhance the precision and robustness of the analysis. An exploratory analysis was conducted, where the annual standard cost per patient and healthcare resource utilization were examined.
RESULTS: The annual cost per patient dropped by around 55% (p<0.0001) for biosimilars compared to trastuzumab. The percentage of patients with at least one visit to the emergency and inpatient department were 36% and 35% for trastuzumab-treated patients, vs. 41% and 38% for biosimilars-treated patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The cost reduction with the use of biosimilars enhances patient access to essential treatment and alleviates financial burden. However, an increased rate of patients in emergency and inpatient departments in the case of biosimilar treatment as compared to trastuzumab treatment warrants further analysis on the effectiveness of biosimilar treatments regarding overall healthcare costs and patient outcomes.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
EE425
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Oncology