Objectives. The purpose of this study was to estimate incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) values of the anticancer drugs approved and rejected for the vital and essential drugs list (VEDL) in Russia in 2018.

Methods. We estimated ICER values of the anticancer drugs proposed for the inclusion into VEDL in 2018 in Russia to compare the values of the approved and rejected drugs using a simplified methodology of calculating ICERs. Efficacy data were extracted from the randomized clinical trials (RCT). RCT was considered eligible for data extracting, if it’s results showed significant statistical advantage in overall and/or progression-free survival between the proposed drug versus the drug already included into VEDL. ICERs were calculated by the formula where the numerator was the difference in costs between compared drugs, and the denominator was the difference in life years saved, life years without tumor progression, and quality-adjusted life years (QALY).

Results. In 2018 in Russia ICER for the anticancer drugs included into the VEDL with a proved benefit in overall survival varies from 6,927 USD to 216,681 USD per life-year saved and from 10,390 USD to 315,173 USD per QALY. Drugs approved for inclusion in VEDL with a proved benefit in progression-free survival have ICER from 10,390 USD to 580,308 USD per life year without tumor progression. Rejected drugs with a proved benefit in overall survival have ICER from 23,444 USD to 115,225 USD per life-year saved and from 34,309 USD to 172,838 USD per QALY. The rejected drugs with a proved benefit in progression-free survival have ICER from 9,690 USD to 238,783 USD per life year without tumor progression.

Conclusions. The ICERs of drugs approved for the inclusion into Russian VEDL 2018 vary significantly and often surpasses the same value for the rejected drugs.