OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the healthcare costs for obinutuzumab use in patients with refractory and relapsing follicular lymphoma (FL) in the Russian Federation (RF) healthcare system within the framework of drug provision restrictive lists. The planned budget impact analysis (BIA) should demonstrate the economic effect from expanding the use of obinutuzumab in the Program of State Guarantees for the provision of free medical care.

METHODS: To model the dynamics of costs when using the evaluated therapeutic approaches, approved recommendations for BIA were used. The time horizon was 3 years. For the target population in the RF the estimated 340 patients were indicated aggressive immunochemotherapy or were considered candidates for auto-HSCT. The current treatment practice assessment was carried out based on data on the use of the evaluated regimen medications and the number of auto-HSCT. A change in the frequency of drug prescription was modeled to estimate the costs of the current therapy practice with alternatives in question, and when obinutuzumab was included in the reimbursement list, together with reducing the number of auto-HSCT and patients on R-FND and VBR therapy.

RESULTS: Results of the simulation showed that the increased use of obinutuzumab in the treatment of the target population does not lead to a significant change in the therapy cost for this patient group: with an increase in obinutuzumab usage up to 10%, 20% and 30%, costs decrease by 2.7%, 2%, and 2.3% respectively. The total resource-saving economic effect for the healthcare system after including obinutuzumab in free medical care restrictive lists may amount to 635 547 EUR within 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS: From BIA perspective, obinutuzumab in combination with bendamustine used for treatment of patients with relapsing and refractory FL within the framework of free pharmaceutical state program is economically feasible for healthcare system.