Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the most common type and often diagnosed at an advanced or metastatic stage. TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab), offering both subcutaneous and intravenous administration options, is positioned as a flexible and effective first-line treatment for metastatic NSCLC patients with high programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, addressing the unmet need for more patient-centered and convenient treatment modalities. The objective of the cost comparison / cost-minimisation analysis (CMA) is to estimate the differential cost per patient of atezolizumab compared to relevant comparators, with the underlying assumption of comparable efficacy and safety.
METHODS: A cost comparison / CMA was conducted between atezolizumab, cemiplimab and pembrolizumab with outcomes expressed as incremental costs (or savings) per patient. Costs were calculated over a 5.3 month time horizon, corresponding to the median duration of treatment of atezolizumab in the IMpower110 study.
RESULTS: Throughout treatment, the Pan-Canadian average drug costs per patient were $49,825 for atezolizumab, $62,991 for cemiplimab, and $67,600 for pembrolizumab, while the total administration costs (including healthcare professionals' wages and chemotherapy suite expenses) per patient were $469, $1365, and $683, respectively. This analysis reveals that atezolizumab is $14,062 (-22%) less expensive than cemiplimab and $17,988 (-26%) less expensive than pembrolizumab. The Quebec CMA results were consistent with these findings.
CONCLUSIONS: The addition of atezolizumab to public drug plans for first-line metastatic PD-L1 high NSCLC is anticipated to result in financial savings per patient.