OBJECTIVES

: The aim of the study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of CIMAvax-EGF, compared with standard-of-care (SoC) as maintenance treatment in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that expresses high levels of EGF, from a Colombia third-party public healthcare payer perspective.

METHODS

: We conducted a markov model with a cycle length of three months and a time horizon of four years. Parametric survival models were fitted to Kaplan–Meier estimates of overall survival from a randomized clinical trial (patients aged ≥18 years with stage IIIB – IV NSCLC, ECOG 0-2, who received systemic chemotherapy). Progression free survival were validated from registry data. Costs (COP, year 2016 values) for drug acquisition/administration and clinical management were included. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 5% per year. For the base-case scenario data was evaluated for patients with squamous NSCLC. An alternative scenario was evaluated for all patients with NSCLC comparing CIMAvax-EGF to other maintenance therapies. A deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

: In the base-case scenario, CIMAvax resulted in an expected gain of survival. The incremental cost per LY gain was COP 30.132.000/LY. The cost-effectiveness threshold in Colombia established for the year 2016 is approximately COP 43,500,000 / LY. So, it is considered that CIMAvax-EGF is a cost-effective therapy. The sensitivity analysis showed that the cost of second-line therapy is the variable that most affects the mode. In 95% of the cases evaluated, CIMAvax-EGF was the most cost-effective therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

: CIMAvax-EGF is a cost-effective option compared with SoC as maintenance treatment in adults with NSCLC expressing high levels of EGF.