OBJECTIVES

The multiple myeloma (MM) is a chronic progressive disease, thus patients unavoidably need changes in the therapy. At the current moment the earlier treatment with bortezomib, lenalidomide and daratumumab monotherapy (only for double refractory MM) are covered by Russian Federal budget via The Russian High-cost Nosologies Program (HCNP). Modern myeloma drugs, such as carfilzomib, ixazomib, daratumumab and elotuzumab, administered as the addition to combination with lenalidomide, should be covered by Russian regional health care budgets. The COVID-19 pandemic would inevitably affect these already constrained budgets, thus restricting the access of MM patients to life-saving treatment. Our objective was to assess the costs of addition of carfilzomib, ixazomib, daratumumab, elotuzumab (all in combination with lenalidomide) to HCNP.

METHODS

The number of MM patients eligible for triplet therapies was determined on the basis of published data from clinical trials, governmental statistics, and public procurement. Drug costs were calculated using the registered prices from the vital and essential drug list for year of treatment according the data from clinical trials and drug labels. All costs were converted into EUROs using 77.4417₽/€ exchange rate.

RESULTS

We estimated that at the current moment there are 1555 MM patients living in Russia eligible for triplet therapies with carfilzomib, ixazomib, daratumumab, and elotuzumab. Addition of these drugs to the HCNP requires additional financing of €109.43 million; €58.18 million; €101.58 million and €93.85 million respectively, increasing the total annual HCNP budget by 13.54%; 7.20%; 12.57% and 11.61% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Addition of modern MM drugs to the HCNP would lead to the necessity of increasing its budget but removes the burden from the regional health care budgets influenced by COVID-19 pandemic and guarantees access to treatment for eligible MM patients.