Oncology and Therapy (Aug 2024)
Long-Term Temporal Trends of Real-World Healthcare Costs Associated with Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab and Pembrolizumab Plus Axitinib as First-Line Treatment for Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI) and pembrolizumab plus axitinib (PEM + AXI) are first-line (1L) treatments for advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (aRCC), although the long-term trends in their associated real-world healthcare costs are not well defined. We compared the real-world healthcare costs of patients with aRCC who received 1L NIVO + IPI or PEM + AXI over 24 months. Methods Adults with RCC and secondary malignancy who initiated 1L NIVO + IPI or PEM + AXI were identified in the Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases (01/01/2004 to 09/30/2021). All-cause and RCC-related healthcare costs (unadjusted and adjusted) were assessed per patient per month (PPPM) at 6-month intervals post-treatment initiation (index date) up to 24 months, and differences between the NIVO + IPI and PEM + AXI cohorts were compared. Results Of 325 patients with aRCC, 219 received NIVO + IPI and 106 received PEM + AXI as the 1L treatment. According to patients’ follow-up length, the analyses for months 7–12 included 210 patients in the NIVO + IPI cohort and 103 in the PEM + AXI cohort; months 13–18 included 119 and 48 patients, respectively; and months 19–24 included 81 and 25 patients. PPPM unadjusted all-cause total costs were $46,348 for NIVO + IPI and $38,097 for PEM + AXI in months 1–6; $26,840 versus $27,983, respectively, in months 7–12; $22,899 versus $25,137 in months 13–18; and $22,279 versus $27,947 in months 19–24. PPPM unadjusted RCC-related costs were $44,059 for NIVO + IPI and $36,456 for PEM + AXI in months 1–6; $25,144 versus $26,692, respectively, in months 7–12; $21,645 versus $23,709 in months 13–18; and $20,486 versus $25,515 in months 19–24. PPPM costs declined more rapidly for patients receiving NIVO + IPI compared to those receiving PEM + AXI, resulting in significantly lower all-cause costs associated with NIVO + IPI during months 19–24 (difference − $10,914 [95% confidence interval − $21,436, − $1091]) and RCC-related costs during months 7–12 (− $4747 [(− $8929, − $512]) and 19–24 (− $10,261 [− $20,842, − $421]) after adjustment. Cost savings for NIVO + IPI versus PEM + AXI were driven by differences in drug costs which, after adjustment, were significantly lower in months 7–12 (difference − $5555 [all-cause], − $5689 [RCC-related]); 13–18 (− $7217 and − $6870, respectively); and 19–24 (− $16,682 and − $16,125). Conclusion Although the real-world PPPM healthcare costs of 1L NIVO + IPI were higher compared with PEM + AXI in the first 6 months of treatment, the costs associated with NIVO + IPI rapidly declined thereafter, resulting in significantly lower costs vs. PEM + AXI from months 7 to 24.
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