PF732 AN INDEPENDENT OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF REAL LIFE COSTS OF CARE TO MYELOMA PATIENTS IN THE ERA OF NOVEL THERAPIES

Background: Novel haematological therapies offer advantages in management of malignant and non‐malignant conditions, but treatment access is limited by cost, typically referenced as medication cost alone. The addition of real world costs of care provides a more complete cost‐benefit analysis, and limited published data and common perception have suggested additional costs are greater for novel agents. Aims: We analysed and compared total dollar value costs of care excluding the cost of the novel agent for myeloma patients treated first‐line with bortezomib and non‐novel agent based regimens in an inclusive (encompassing all patients within a local health network), real‐world cohort. Methods: We interrogated electronic and case note databases to record hospital admissions, outpatient visits, investigations, and non‐primary‐therapy medications and costed these using standard values using single payer government benchmarks. The primary end point was the real world cost of treatment per patient for the first year of treatment. Results: After using generalised linear models to adjust for patient age, gender, International Staging System (ISS) stage, trial status and transplant status, the mean yearly cost of care for patients receiving bortezomib‐based regimens was AU$24,162 (CI $20,207–28,118), which was 2.6% lower (CI −22.1–21.7, p = 0.814) than that for those receiving regimens not containing a novel agent ($26,300, CI $23,121–29,479) excluding the novel agent. Compared to patients at Stage 1 at baseline ($, CI$‐), costs of care were 62.2% higher (CI 50.1–81.8, p  < .0001) for patients at Stage 3 at baseline ($, CI$‐). Costs were 36.0% lower (CI 18.2–49.9, p  < .0001) for trial patients ($21,381, CI $17,404–25,358) compared to non‐trial patients ($25,130, CI $20,120–30,139). Yearly costs of care are estimated to be on average 51.5% higher (CI 22.0–88.1, p  < .0001) for transplant patients ($27,288, CI $23,351–31,226) compared to non‐transplant patients ($17,088, CI $10,980–23,196). Summary/Conclusion: Contrary to common perceptions and previously published data, bortezomib‐based regimens do not confer higher costs of care in the real world than conventional regimens. Subgroup analysis indicates significant cost differences based on ISS stage, trial involvement, transplant status and age.