Tailored doses, tailored savings: Optimizing dosing strategies of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Authors

Aakash Desai

Aakash Desai

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Aakash Desai, Chelsee Jensen, Scott A. Soefje, Devika Govind Das, S. M. Qasim Hussaini, Arthi Sridhar

Organizations

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment, their high cost and limited global supply pose major challenges. Optimizing ICI dosing to achieve a minimum effective dose that has shown to maintain clinical benefit may be a potential solution with significant savings to the health system. We investigated potential savings in Medicare that could be attained from alternative ICI dosing. Methods: We conducted a literature review including original Phase 1/2 trials describing the minimal effective dose of three commonly used ICIs: Pembrolizumab (P), Nivolumab (N) and Atezolizumab (A). Alternate dosing strategies based on existing data for Pembrolizumab (2 mg/kg), Nivolumab (1 mg/kg) and Atezolizumab (4 mg/kg) were proposed. Publicly available CMS data on Medicare Part B expenditure for these therapies was utilized to obtain average cost per dosage unit, mg/dosage unit, and number of Medicare beneficiaries between 2018-2021. Average cost per dose and total cost per ICI was calculated based on current FDA approved dosing and alternate dosing strategies. Results: The average wholesale cost per fixed dose for P (200 mg), N (480 mg), and A were $9,242.00, $12,460.80, and $8,616.00, respectively. Implementing the proposed alternate dosing strategies led to a substantial reduction in drug costs: P ($7,393.60), N ($2,076.80), and A ($2,297.60). The ensuing cost savings were calculated based on the annual number of Medicare beneficiaries. From 2018-2021, the average total savings were estimated to be $95,545,182 for Pembrolizumab, $294,734,264 for Nivolumab, and $62,937,582 for Atezolizumab (Table). The cumulative average total cost savings from 2018-2021 exceeded $453 million. Conclusions: We demonstrate potential savings in Medicare with implementation of an alternative ICI dosing strategy. Our study underscores an urgent need to better understand clinical efficacy and cost savings from a patient perspective, and feasibility from a regulatory standpoint. This perspective may hold considerable global implications, providing a roadmap for cost-effective care in the domain of immunotherapy.

DrugFDA Approved Dose (mg)Alternative Dosing Strategy Average Spending per Dosage Unit FDA -CMS Dose Cost Alternative dose CostCost savings/year (Average)
Pembrolizumab2002 mg/kg$46.21$9242$7393.6$95,545,182.30
Nivolumab4801 mg/kg$25.96$12460.8$2076.8$294,734, 264.00
Atezolizumab12004 mg/kg$71.8$8616$2297.6$62, 937, 582.40

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session A

Track

Quality, Safety, and Implementation Science,Cost, Value, and Policy,Patient Experience,Survivorship

Sub Track

Value-Based Models of Care

Citation

JCO Oncol Pract 19, 2023 (suppl 11; abstr 68)

DOI

10.1200/OP.2023.19.11_suppl.68

Abstract #

68

Poster Bd #

C21

Abstract Disclosures