Cost-effectiveness of Nivolumab-Ipilimumab Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Key Points Question Is nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy cost-effective as first-line treatment for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer compared with platinum-doublet chemotherapy? Findings In this economic evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy, a Markov model was designed to simulate patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer who were receiving either nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy or platinum-doublet chemotherapy. In this model, nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy was not found to be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $401 700 per quality-adjusted life-year compared with chemotherapy. Meaning The findings suggest that first-line treatment with nivolumab-ipilimumab combination therapy is not cost-effective at current prices despite clinical trial data indicating that this therapy increases overall survival among patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer.