Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy

**Background:** Anemia is a common complication among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and can cause significant costs to health plans. **Objective:** The objective of this study is to estimate the annual budget impact of drug treatment associated with treating cancer patients with anemi...

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Main Authors: November McGarvey, Hairong Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Columbia Data Analytics, LLC 2015-11-01
Series:Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.36469/9836
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author November McGarvey
Hairong Xu
author_facet November McGarvey
Hairong Xu
author_sort November McGarvey
collection DOAJ
description **Background:** Anemia is a common complication among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and can cause significant costs to health plans. **Objective:** The objective of this study is to estimate the annual budget impact of drug treatment associated with treating cancer patients with anemia due to the effect of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy (i.e., chemotherapy-induced anemia [CIA]) with erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs), either darbepoetin alfa (DA) once every 3 weeks (Q3W) or epoetin alfa (EA) once every week (QW), for a large US health plan in 2014. **Methods:** Using a patient database from a large US health plan in 2010 (n = 14 811 119), the potential CIA patient population was determined (1842 patients each per DA and EA). A budget impact of ESA treatment on this patient population in 2014 was calculated. The analysis assumed a minimum of 2 additional months of chemotherapy from initiation of the analysis. The 2014 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement rates used were: average sales price +12% of $3.68/mcg (DA) and $11.38/1000 IU (EA), and office-based injection cost of $25.08. **Results:** The estimated 2014 annual average drug costs per patient with CIA were $5520 (DA) and $5833 (EA). Annual average drug costs for administrations were estimated at $100 (DA) and $301 (EA) for 2014. Per member per year (PMPY) costs for patients with CIA were estimated at $5620 (DA) and $6134 (EA) for 2014. The annual total costs per CIA population (n=1842) were estimated at \$10 352 629 (DA) and \$11 298 798 (EA) for 2014. **Conclusion:** DA Q3W has the potential to provide cost savings over EA QW in terms of annual average drug cost per patient with CIA ($313 savings), PMPY costs for patients with CIA ($514 savings), and total cost per CIA population ($946 169 savings).
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spelling doaj-art-a568dd51b7f94c26b0eaf770fa9668c72025-02-10T16:12:46ZengColumbia Data Analytics, LLCJournal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research2327-22362015-11-0132Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive ChemotherapyNovember McGarveyHairong Xu**Background:** Anemia is a common complication among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and can cause significant costs to health plans. **Objective:** The objective of this study is to estimate the annual budget impact of drug treatment associated with treating cancer patients with anemia due to the effect of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy (i.e., chemotherapy-induced anemia [CIA]) with erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs), either darbepoetin alfa (DA) once every 3 weeks (Q3W) or epoetin alfa (EA) once every week (QW), for a large US health plan in 2014. **Methods:** Using a patient database from a large US health plan in 2010 (n = 14 811 119), the potential CIA patient population was determined (1842 patients each per DA and EA). A budget impact of ESA treatment on this patient population in 2014 was calculated. The analysis assumed a minimum of 2 additional months of chemotherapy from initiation of the analysis. The 2014 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement rates used were: average sales price +12% of $3.68/mcg (DA) and $11.38/1000 IU (EA), and office-based injection cost of $25.08. **Results:** The estimated 2014 annual average drug costs per patient with CIA were $5520 (DA) and $5833 (EA). Annual average drug costs for administrations were estimated at $100 (DA) and $301 (EA) for 2014. Per member per year (PMPY) costs for patients with CIA were estimated at $5620 (DA) and $6134 (EA) for 2014. The annual total costs per CIA population (n=1842) were estimated at \$10 352 629 (DA) and \$11 298 798 (EA) for 2014. **Conclusion:** DA Q3W has the potential to provide cost savings over EA QW in terms of annual average drug cost per patient with CIA ($313 savings), PMPY costs for patients with CIA ($514 savings), and total cost per CIA population ($946 169 savings).https://doi.org/10.36469/9836
spellingShingle November McGarvey
Hairong Xu
Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research
title Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
title_full Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
title_fullStr Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
title_full_unstemmed Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
title_short Budget Impact Analysis of Darbepoetin Alfa Every 3 Weeks versus Epoetin Alfa Every Week for Cancer Patients with Anemia due to the Effect of Concomitant Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy
title_sort budget impact analysis of darbepoetin alfa every 3 weeks versus epoetin alfa every week for cancer patients with anemia due to the effect of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy
url https://doi.org/10.36469/9836
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