COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MEDICAL COSTS AND HEALTHCARE RESOURCE UTILIZATION (HCRU) BETWEEN INTRAVENOUS (IV) AND SUBCUTANEOUS (SC) FIXED-DOSE COMBINATION OF PERTUZUMAB AND TRASTUZUMAB IN BRAZILIAN PRIVATE ONCOLOGY PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE REAL-WORLD...
Author(s)
João Antônio de Camargos Pinto Robles, MD1, Anderson Zotarelli, BSc1, Gustavo Matsuno, MSc2, Nelson Correa, PhD2, Iago D. Silveira, BSc2, Flavia S. Tobaruella, BSc3.
1Unimed São Jose do Rio Preto Cooperativa De Trabalho Médico, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, 2Produtos Roche Químicos e Farmacêuticos S.A., São Paulo, Brazil, 3Produtos Roche Químicos e Farmacêuticos S.A., Sao Paulo, Brazil.
1Unimed São Jose do Rio Preto Cooperativa De Trabalho Médico, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, 2Produtos Roche Químicos e Farmacêuticos S.A., São Paulo, Brazil, 3Produtos Roche Químicos e Farmacêuticos S.A., Sao Paulo, Brazil.
OBJECTIVES: To describe and compare the operational and financial impact of switching from intravenous (IV) to fixed-dose subcutaneous (SC) co-formulation of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer patients, focusing exclusively on administration-related costs (healthcare professional [HCP] time and disposable supplies), excluding drug acquisition costs.
METHODS: This observational study analyzed retrospective, aggregated and administrative data from a single Brazilian oncology center over a 12-month period (April 2025 to March 2026). Eligible patients received trastuzumab plus pertuzumab (IV or SC). Operational and financial impacts were evaluated using infusion and observation times extracted from the official prescribing label, while HCPs labor costs and health disposable supplies were obtained from internal records. All costs are reported in US dollars (USD) from the oncology center's perspective. Additional chair slots per year were estimated based on the time saved per SC administration relative to the standard session duration.
RESULTS: A total of 411 administrations were analyzed (292 IV and 119 SC). SC adoption grew significantly, reaching 86 % of total administrations by March 2026. The transition reduced total HCP time per patient from 170 minutes to just 13 minutes, representing a 92 % decrease in chair and preparation time. The average operational cost per administration—encompassing HCP time and supplies—dropped from USD 75.3 (IV) to USD 26.5 (SC), an approximate 65 % reduction. Reduced chair occupancy yielded an estimated 109.9 additional chair slots per year, expanding patient capacity without additional infrastructure investment.
CONCLUSIONS: The SC co-formulation of trastuzumab and pertuzumab significantly reduces HCP time and accessory operational costs versus IV administration. Beyond the 65 % cost reduction, freed chair time enables additional patient throughput, optimizing resource allocation. Limitations include the single-center design, exclusion of drug acquisition costs, and label-based infusion times. Despite these, findings support SC adoption as an operationally efficient strategy in oncology centers.
METHODS: This observational study analyzed retrospective, aggregated and administrative data from a single Brazilian oncology center over a 12-month period (April 2025 to March 2026). Eligible patients received trastuzumab plus pertuzumab (IV or SC). Operational and financial impacts were evaluated using infusion and observation times extracted from the official prescribing label, while HCPs labor costs and health disposable supplies were obtained from internal records. All costs are reported in US dollars (USD) from the oncology center's perspective. Additional chair slots per year were estimated based on the time saved per SC administration relative to the standard session duration.
RESULTS: A total of 411 administrations were analyzed (292 IV and 119 SC). SC adoption grew significantly, reaching 86 % of total administrations by March 2026. The transition reduced total HCP time per patient from 170 minutes to just 13 minutes, representing a 92 % decrease in chair and preparation time. The average operational cost per administration—encompassing HCP time and supplies—dropped from USD 75.3 (IV) to USD 26.5 (SC), an approximate 65 % reduction. Reduced chair occupancy yielded an estimated 109.9 additional chair slots per year, expanding patient capacity without additional infrastructure investment.
CONCLUSIONS: The SC co-formulation of trastuzumab and pertuzumab significantly reduces HCP time and accessory operational costs versus IV administration. Beyond the 65 % cost reduction, freed chair time enables additional patient throughput, optimizing resource allocation. Limitations include the single-center design, exclusion of drug acquisition costs, and label-based infusion times. Despite these, findings support SC adoption as an operationally efficient strategy in oncology centers.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
EE524
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Real World Data & Information Systems
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, Oncology