Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: The rapid expansion of treatment options for haematological malignancies has increased the interest in frameworks that assess their clinical benefit demonstrated in clinical studies. The European Society for Medical Oncology’s Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale for haematological malignancies (ESMO-MCBS:H) is a framework developed to distinguish treatments offering substantial clinical benefits from those with marginal therapeutic gains. This study examined the association between ESMO-MCBS:H scores and subsidy decisions of targeted therapies for haematological malignancies in Singapore.
METHODS: Indication-specific targeted therapies for haematological malignancies considered for funding before April 2026 were included. ESMO-MCBS:H scores were retrospectively obtained from the ESMO website and where unavailable, independently conducted based on published methodology. Drug-indication pairs with ESMO-MCBS:H scores of 4-5 or B-A were categorised as having “substantial benefit”. Descriptive analysis and Fisher’s exact test were used to examine the relationship between ESMO-MCBS:H scores and subsidy decisions.
RESULTS: ESMO-MCBS:H scores were obtained for 77 drug-indication pairs, of which 46 indications were subsidised. 39% of the subsidised drug-indication pairs had ESMO-MCBS:H scores of 4-5 or B-A, a higher proportion than non-subsidised indications (p=0.031). Drug-indication pairs with ESMO-MCBS:H scores of 4-5 or B-A were significantly more likely to be subsidised (odds ratio 3.34 [1.11, 9.92], p=0.042).
CONCLUSIONS: A positive association was observed between ESMO-MCBS:H scores and subsidy decision of targeted therapies for haematological malignancies in Singapore. The findings suggest an association between greater demonstrated magnitude of clinical benefit and favourable subsidy outcomes, alongside broader HTA considerations including cost-effectiveness and budget impact.