Real-World Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Second-Line Pemetrexed Versus Docetaxel In The Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Population In Ontario

Speaker: Dolly Han

Date/Time: November 7, 10 AM – 12 PM

Abstract:

Docetaxel is a common standard treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in Ontario after first-line platinum-based therapy. In Ontario in 2008, pemetrexed was approved for funding in the second-line setting based on evidence of equal efficacy as docetaxel, with an improved toxicity profile at a higher cost. Net benefit regression was used to determine the cost-effectiveness of pemetrexed compared to docetaxel in the Ontario population using data from health administrative databases. Overall survival was not significantly different in those treated with pemetrexed compared to docetaxel; however, those treated with docetaxel had higher chemotherapy-related toxicities requiring inpatient hospitalization. The incremental net benefit for pemetrexed was -$8611-20,279 for WTP values ranging from $0-150,000/QALY, suggesting that pemetrexed was not cost-effective at the listed drug price. This study illustrated the use of health administrative databases to populate cost and effect outcomes for real-world post-market cost-effectiveness analyses through net benefit regression.

Biography:

Dolly is a MSc graduate student in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, specializing in health technology assessment. She is currently a Submissions Analyst at the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR), as well as a Student Fellow of the Canadian Centre for Health Economics. She received her undergraduate health sciences degree at the University of Waterloo.