scholarly journals Refunds If a Drug Doesn’t Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 107-108
Author(s):  
Richard Robbins ◽  
◽  
Thomas Kummet

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. One aspect of the high cost of healthcare is the cost of new drugs. Cancer drugs have received much of the attention because of their extremely high price (1). For example, crizotinib, used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), costs $19,144 for each month's supply. Pfizer, the manufacturer of crizotinib, has just announced that they are offering a refund if its drug "doesn't work" (2). If crizotinib use is discontinued and documentation of ineffectiveness is provided, Pfizer will refund the out-of-pocket amount that was paid for up to the first three bottles (30-day supply) of crizotinib, up to a maximum of $19,144 for each month's supply, or a total of $57,432. Of course, the cost of care includes more than just a single drug and can be much higher and Pfizer is reimbursing only the drug cost. Although Pfizer claims that its pilot program is a first in the …

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 1301-1309
Author(s):  
Longfeng Zhang ◽  
Xiaofang Zeng ◽  
Hongfu Cai ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Maobai Liu ◽  
...  

Aim: To analyze the economic impact of nivolumab and chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed disease progression after platinum-containing dual-drug chemotherapy. Materials & methods: The partitioned survival model was used to analyze the cost-utility of two NSCLC treatments by nivolumab and docetaxel. The clinical data resulted from the Phase III clinical trial. The cost parameters were derived from our previous studies, and the utility parameters were derived from the literature. Results: The quality-adjusted life-years of nivolumab and docetaxel were 0.778 and 0.336. The lifetime direct medical expenses of nivolumab and docetaxel were US$44,707.17 and US$12,826.72. The incremental cost–effectiveness ratio was $72,127.71/quality-adjusted life-year. Conclusion: The combination of chemotherapy, nivolumab is not a cost-effective choice in the second-line treatment of NSCLC.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Patricia Mondelo-Macía ◽  
Jorge García-González ◽  
Luis León-Mateos ◽  
Adrián Castillo-García ◽  
Rafael López-López ◽  
...  

Approximately 19% of all cancer-related deaths are due to lung cancer, which is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) affects approximately 15% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer. SCLC is characterized by aggressiveness; the majority of SCLC patients present with metastatic disease, and less than 5% of patients are alive at 5 years. The gold standard of SCLC treatment is platinum and etoposide-based chemotherapy; however, its effects are short. In recent years, treatment for SCLC has changed; new drugs have been approved, and new biomarkers are needed for treatment selection. Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive, rapid, repeated and alternative tool to the traditional tumor biopsy that could allow the most personalized medicine into the management of SCLC patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) are the most commonly used liquid biopsy biomarkers. Some studies have reported the prognostic factors of CTCs and cfDNA in SCLC patients, independent of the stage. In this review, we summarize the recent SCLC studies of CTCs, cfDNA and other liquid biopsy biomarkers, and we discuss the future utility of liquid biopsy in the clinical management of SCLC.


1990 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
W K Evans ◽  
E A Eisenhauer ◽  
Y Cormier ◽  
J Ayoub ◽  
R Wierzbicki ◽  
...  

Thirteen previously untreated patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were treated with the investigational agent amonafide in a dose of 300 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) over 1 hour daily for 5 consecutive days. No responses were seen in 12 eligible patients. Myelosuppression was only occasionally seen. Other toxicities included diaphoresis, chest pain, local irritation at the injection site, arthralgias, nausea and vomiting, and neuromuscular problems. There were two early deaths, both attributable to tumor progression with resultant obstruction of a vital structure. Ten patients crossed over to alternate active therapy (etoposide [VP-16]-cisplatin) and five responded. The median survival time (MST) of the whole group of treated patients was 31 weeks. In future trials of investigational new drugs in previously untreated SCLC, we recommend that patients with the following characteristics be excluded: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 2, 3, and 4; superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction; any major paraneoplastic syndrome; serious comorbid illness; and extensive hepatic involvement by tumor. The trial design should include prompt crossover to active alternative therapy, such as VP-16 and cisplatin, for disease progression or for failure to respond after two treatment cycles. Also, the trial design should use an early stopping rule based on interest in identifying only very active agents with a minimum response rate of 30%.


1992 ◽  
Vol 156 (9) ◽  
pp. 605-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A Rosenthal ◽  
Penny J Webster ◽  
Robin C Stuart‐Harris ◽  
Allan O Langlands ◽  
John Boyages ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e346-e352 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Jackman ◽  
Yichen Zhang ◽  
Carole Dalby ◽  
Tom Nguyen ◽  
Julia Nagle ◽  
...  

Purpose: Increasing costs and medical complexity are significant challenges in modern oncology. We explored the use of clinical pathways to support clinical decision making and manage resources prospectively across our network. Materials and Methods: We created customized lung cancer pathways and partnered with a commercial vendor to provide a Web-based platform for real-time decision support and post-treatment data aggregation. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Pathways for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were introduced in January 2014. We identified all DFCI patients who were diagnosed and treated for stage IV NSCLC in 2012 (before pathways) and 2014 (after pathways). Costs of care were determined for 1 year from the time of diagnosis. Results: Pre- and postpathway cohorts included 160 and 210 patients with stage IV NSCLC, respectively. The prepathway group had more women but was otherwise similarly matched for demographic and tumor characteristics. The total 12-month cost of care (adjusted for age, sex, race, distance to DFCI, clinical trial enrollment, and EGFR and ALK status) demonstrated a $15,013 savings after the implementation of pathways ($67,050 before pathways v $52,037 after pathways). Antineoplastics were the largest source of cost savings. Clinical outcomes were not compromised, with similar median overall survival times (10.7 months before v 11.2 months after pathways; P = .08). Conclusion: After introduction of a clinical pathway in metastatic NSCLC, cost of care decreased significantly, with no compromise in survival. In an era where comparative outcomes analysis and value assessment are increasingly important, the implementation of clinical pathways may provide a means to coalesce and disseminate institutional expertise and track and learn from care decisions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. A642 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Djalalov ◽  
D.M. Graham ◽  
J. Beca ◽  
J.S. Hoch ◽  
M.S. Tsao ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1344-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha B. Leighl ◽  
Frances A. Shepherd ◽  
Rita Kwong ◽  
Ronald L. Burkes ◽  
Ronald Feld ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: To determine the cost-effectiveness (CE) of second-line docetaxel compared with best supportive care (BSC) in the TAX 317 trial, a randomized clinical trial of second-line chemotherapy in non–small-cell lung cancer. METHODS: A retrospective CE analysis of the TAX 317 trial was undertaken, evaluating direct medical costs of therapy from the viewpoint of Canada’s public health care system. Costs were derived in 1999 Canadian dollars, and resource use was determined through prospective trial data. RESULTS: The incremental survival benefit in the docetaxel arm over BSC was 2 months (P = .047). The CE of docetaxel was $57,749 per year of life gained. For patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m2, the CE was $31,776 per year of life gained. In univariate sensitivity analyses, CE estimates were most sensitive to changes in survival, ranging from $18,374 to $117,434 with 20% variation in survival at the recommended dose. The largest cost center in both arms was hospitalization, followed by the cost of drugs, investigations, radiotherapy, and community care. BSC patients had fewer hospitalizations than patients in the chemotherapy arm and were more often palliated at home. CONCLUSION: Although the decision to treat should not be based on economic considerations alone, our CE estimate of $31,776 per year of life gained (at the currently recommended dose of docetaxel) is within an acceptable range of health care expenditures, and the total costs of therapy are similar to those of second-line palliative chemotherapy for other solid tumors.


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