Premium
Pharmaco‐economic analysis of direct medical costs of metastatic colorectal cancer therapy with XELOX or modified FOLFOX‐6 regimens: Implications for health‐care utilization in A ustralia
Author(s) -
Tran Giao,
Hack Stephen P,
Kerr Annette,
Stokes Leanne,
Gibbs Peter,
Price Timothy,
Todd Carlene
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/ajco.12044
Subject(s) - oxaliplatin , folinic acid , folfox , medicine , capecitabine , colorectal cancer , oncology , regimen , fluorouracil , intensive care medicine , chemotherapy , cancer
Aim The objective of this economic evaluation, which was based on patients from two randomized controlled clinical trials ( NO16966 and NO16967 ), was to compare direct medical costs to the A ustralian health‐care system of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin ( XELOX ) and bolus and/or infusional 5‐fluorouracil (5‐ FU ) plus folinic acid combined with oxaliplatin (modified [m] FOLFOX‐6 ) in first‐line and second‐line treatment of advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (m CRC ). Methods Direct medical costs were estimated for five treatment settings from a public and private hospital. The costs included in evaluation were for drug acquisition, preparation (oxaliplatin, bolus and infusional 5‐ FU ), administration and wastage. The cost of drug acquisition was calculated based on dosage data and the mean number of treatment cycles from the pivotal studies NO16966 and NO16967 . There were no costs associated with preparing capecitabine and leucovorin. An oncology grouping and costing study was performed to determine the relevant administration costs associated with central venous access devices, their placement, maintenance and removal (for oxaliplatin administration) and the continuous infusion of 5‐ FU via a continuous ambulatory delivery device pump or infuser. Results This economic evaluation has shown that treating mCRC patients with XELOX in the first and second‐line settings results in average cost savings of $9110 and $7113, respectively, compared with mFOLFOX‐6 . A multi‐way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the use of XELOX remained cost‐saving from an A ustralian government health budget perspective. Conclusion The use of XELOX , compared with mFOLFOX‐6 , for the treatment of mCRC is cost‐saving in the A ustralian government health budget.