OBJECTIVES: Daratumumab is an anti-cancer monoclonal antibody that binds to CD38, which is overexpressed in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. It is available in both a subcutaneous (SC) and an intravenous (IV) formulation for use in the day hospital setting. We evaluated the resource optimization that can be achieved in a day hospital in the Greek National Health System (NHS), by using the SC instead of the IV formulation in everyday practice.

METHODS: A resource optimization tool was developed in Microsoft Excel to calculate the impact in day hospital’s capacity and the time saved for each patient, when using daratumumab SC versus daratumumab IV. Inputs on infusion/injection and non-infusion/non-injection chair times were derived from the daratumumab Time and Motion Study. The tool calculates the time freed for each patient and the number of additional infusions that may potentially be performed in the day hospital by using daratumumab SC versus IV, assuming all freed time, associated with shorter chair time, is allocated to treating more oncology patients. Due to lack of published data on active oncology patients for each Greek hospital, we performed sequential calculations followed by sensitivity analysis on oncology related infusions (range 70 - 250/day) and daratumumab IV patient numbers (range 20 - 160) to account for the different oncology hospital sizes in Greece.

RESULTS: Across all calculations performed, the use of daratumumab SC is expected to result in time savings of 60.86 – 85.94 hours per year per IV patient and in an 13%-178% increase in the hospital’s capacity to treat general oncology patients. Results are consistent across hospital sizes and daratumumab patient populations.

CONCLUSIONS: Using daratumumab SC versus IV in a day hospital in the Greek NHS is expected to result in reduced patient treatment burden and increased healthcare efficiencies, irrespective of hospital size.