Evaluating the Health Impact of Anti-PD-(L)1 Agents for Early Stage Cancer Treatment in the Czech Republic
Author(s)
Gittan Blezer, MSc.1, Karl Patterson, PhD2, Tomas Mlcoch, MSc.3, Jana Alahakoon, MPharm3, Joyce Yizhen Lai, MA4, Vivek Khurana, MPH5, Raquel Aguiar-Ibáñez, BS, MSc6.
1Lumanity, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2Lumanity, Sheffield, United Kingdom, 3MSD Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, 4Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, 5Value & Implementation Outcomes Research, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH, Munich, Germany, 6Merck Canada, Kirkland, QC, Canada.
1Lumanity, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2Lumanity, Sheffield, United Kingdom, 3MSD Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic, 4Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, 5Value & Implementation Outcomes Research, MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH, Munich, Germany, 6Merck Canada, Kirkland, QC, Canada.
OBJECTIVES: Anti-PD-(L)1 agents, inhibitors of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), significantly improve clinical outcomes and overall survival for individuals with certain unresectable (locally advanced, metastatic) and early-stage cancers (adjuvant, perioperative). The aim of the study was to estimate the health benefits and productivity gains of treating with anti-PD-(L)1s for three early stage cancers - melanoma stage IIB/C & III, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) versus reserving anti-PD-(L)1s only for metastatic disease.
METHODS: A Markov-based model was used to compare the health benefits of using of anti-PD-(L)1 agents for early-stage disease (ESD) treatment of melanoma (stage IIB-C and III), RCC, and TNBC versus the established use of anti-PD-(L)1 agents only for metastatic disease in the Czech Republic (2024-2033). Outcomes included recurrence-/event-/disease-free life years (LYs), total LYs, quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs), recurrences/events, active treatments for metastatic disease, deaths and productivity years lost. The cumulative health impact of ESD anti-PD-(L)1 agents was then assessed as the difference in health outcomes between the ESD and metastatic-only treatment scenarios over ten years.
RESULTS: Out of 16,410 eligible individuals from 2024-2033, 13,745 initiated ESD treatment with anti-PD-(L)1 agents. The cumulative health impact included an increase in recurrence-/event-/disease-free LYs (5,260, +10.6%), total LYs (2,270, +3.6%), and QALYs (2,181, +4.1%) as well as fewer recurrences/events (-1,586, -22.2%), active treatments for metastatic disease (-1,338, -17.6%), and total deaths (-839, -23.2%). The impact on work productivity showed a reduction in productive years lost both for patients (-136, -22.3%) and their caregivers (-433, -21.0%).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anti-PD-(L)1 agents in the ESD results in fewer number of recurrences/events and deaths, along with improved LYs and QALYs, and work productivity. Investing in innovative immunotherapies for early-stage cancers aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and may have a positive impact on public health in the Czech Republic.
METHODS: A Markov-based model was used to compare the health benefits of using of anti-PD-(L)1 agents for early-stage disease (ESD) treatment of melanoma (stage IIB-C and III), RCC, and TNBC versus the established use of anti-PD-(L)1 agents only for metastatic disease in the Czech Republic (2024-2033). Outcomes included recurrence-/event-/disease-free life years (LYs), total LYs, quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs), recurrences/events, active treatments for metastatic disease, deaths and productivity years lost. The cumulative health impact of ESD anti-PD-(L)1 agents was then assessed as the difference in health outcomes between the ESD and metastatic-only treatment scenarios over ten years.
RESULTS: Out of 16,410 eligible individuals from 2024-2033, 13,745 initiated ESD treatment with anti-PD-(L)1 agents. The cumulative health impact included an increase in recurrence-/event-/disease-free LYs (5,260, +10.6%), total LYs (2,270, +3.6%), and QALYs (2,181, +4.1%) as well as fewer recurrences/events (-1,586, -22.2%), active treatments for metastatic disease (-1,338, -17.6%), and total deaths (-839, -23.2%). The impact on work productivity showed a reduction in productive years lost both for patients (-136, -22.3%) and their caregivers (-433, -21.0%).
CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anti-PD-(L)1 agents in the ESD results in fewer number of recurrences/events and deaths, along with improved LYs and QALYs, and work productivity. Investing in innovative immunotherapies for early-stage cancers aligns with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and may have a positive impact on public health in the Czech Republic.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
CO107
Topic
Clinical Outcomes, Economic Evaluation, Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Comparative Effectiveness or Efficacy
Disease
Oncology