scholarly journals Economic challenges of oncological diseases’ pharmacotherapy

Author(s):  
E. A. Ushkalova ◽  
S. K. Zyryanov ◽  
I. A. Gopienko

Oncological diseases rank high in the structure of population morbidity and mortality. They entail considerable direct and indirect economic costs. In the past decades, the cost of oncotherapy has increased significantly, which is largely conditioned by high prices of antitumor drugs, which on average increased by ten times in the past ten years. At the same time, many innovative medications have only minor advantages over cheaper old medications because they are registered based on the data on the achievement of the surrogate endpoint – extension of progression-free survival. The high cost of oncotherapy is associated with financial toxicity that affects negatively the patients’ quality of life, their adherence to treatment and consequently survival. To reduce the cost of oncotherapy, it is necessary to conduct pharma-economic analysis, the results of which can serve as the basis to negotiate price-cutting with the manufacturers, as well as to use high-quality generics and biosimilars as effective and safe as their originals, and to monitor effectiveness and safety of all antitumor drugs within the pharmacovigilance framework.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (35) ◽  
pp. 2997-3013
Author(s):  
Kentaro Kogushi ◽  
Michael LoPresti ◽  
Shunya Ikeda

Background: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare, aggressive soft tissue sarcoma with a poor prognosis after metastasis. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the clinical evidence for therapeutic options for adults with metastatic or advanced SS. Materials & methods: Relevant databases were searched with predefined keywords. Results: Thirty-nine publications reported clinical data for systemic treatment and other interventions. Data on survival outcomes varied but were generally poor (progression-free survival: 1.0–7.7 months; overall survival: 6.7–29.2 months) for adults with metastatic and advanced SS. A high frequency of neutropenia with systemic treatment and low quality of life post-progression were reported. Conclusion: Reported evidence suggests poor outcomes in adults with metastatic and advanced SS and the need for the development of new treatment modalities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ophelie De Rycke ◽  
Thomas Walter ◽  
Marine Perrier ◽  
Olivia Hentic ◽  
Catherine Lombard-Bohas ◽  
...  

A rechallenge is common after initial efficacy of alkylating-based chemotherapy (ALK) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET). High MGMT expression seems associated with lower response to ALK. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of ALK rechallenge in PanNET. Secondly, to assess the evolution of MGMT expression under ALK. All consecutive patients with advanced PanNETs who received initial ALK (achieving tumor control) followed by a pause > 3 months, then an ALK rechallenge (ALK2) upon progression were retrospectively studied (Cohort A). Primary endpoint was progression-free survival under ALK2 (PFS2). The MGMT expression was retrospectively assessed by immunohistochemistry (H-score) in consecutive PanNET surgically resected following ALK (Cohort B). We foud that cohort A included 62 patients (median Ki67 8%), for which ALK1 followed by pause achieved an objective response rate of 55%, and a PFS1 of 23.7 months (95% IC, 19.8-27.6). ALK2 achieved no objective response, and stability in 62% of patients. The median PFS2 was 9.2 months (IC 95% 7.1-11.3). At multivariable analysis, a hormonal syndrome (p=0.032) and a pause longer than 12 months (p=0.041) were associated with a longer PFS2. In the cohort B (17 patients), the median MGMT H-score increased from 45 (IQR 18-105) before ALK, to 100 (IQR 56-180) after ALK (p=0.003). We conclude that after initial efficacy of ALK treatment, a pause followed by ALK rechallenge might be appropriate to prolong tumor control, improve quality of life and limit long-term adverse events. Increased MGMT expression under ALK might explain low efficacy of ALK rechallenge.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Wang ◽  
Curtis A. Hanson ◽  
Renee Tschumper ◽  
Connie Lesnick ◽  
Esteban Braggio ◽  
...  

E1912 was a randomized phase 3 trial comparing indefinite ibrutinib plus six cycles of rituximab (IR) to six cycles of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) in untreated younger patients with CLL. We describe measurable residual disease (MRD) levels in E1912 over time and correlate them with clinical outcome. Undetectable MRD rates (< 1 CLL cell per 104 leukocytes) were 29.1%, 30.3%, 23.4% and 8.6% at 3, 12, 24 and 36 months for FCR, and significantly lower at 7.9%, 4.2% and 3.7% at 12, 24 and 36 months for IR, respectively. Undetectable MRD at 3, 12, 24 and 36 months was associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS) for the FCR arm with hazard ratios (MRD detectable / MRD undetectable) of 4.29 (95% CI 1.89 - 9.71), 3.91 (95% CI 1.39 - 11.03), 14.12 (95% CI 1.78 - 111.73), and not estimable (no events among those with undetectable MRD), respectively. For the IR arm, patients with detectable MRD did not have significantly worse PFS compared to those in whom MRD was undetectable; however, PFS was longer for those with MRD levels of less than 10-1 compared to those with MRD levels above this threshold. Our observations provide additional support for the use of MRD as a surrogate endpoint for PFS in patients receiving FCR. For patients on indefinite ibrutinib-based therapy, PFS did not differ significantly by undetectable MRD status, while those with MRD less than 10-1 tend to have longer PFS, although continuation of ibrutinib is very likely required to maintain treatment efficacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5057-5057
Author(s):  
Susan Halabi ◽  
Akash Roy ◽  
Qian Yang ◽  
Wanling Xie ◽  
William Kevin Kelly ◽  
...  

5057 Background: Radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) is commonly used as a co-primary endpoint in randomized clinical trials in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, rPFS has not been established as a valid surrogate endpoint of overall survival (OS) in men with mCRPC. Here, we hypothesized that rPFS is a reliable surrogate for OS in mCRPC. We also explored whether PFS is a valid surrogate endpoint of OS at the aggregate trial level. Methods: We performed a systematic search of the literature encompassing the period January 2004-December 2020 using PubMed and clinical trials.gov to identify completed phase III trials in mCRPC post-docetaxel. Eligible trials had to be randomized phase III therapeutic trials that reported OS, PFS or rPFS. OS was measured from the date of random assignment to date of death from any cause or date of last follow-up. rPFS was defined as the time from random assignment to date of disease progression on CT and/or Tc bone scan per trial definition or death from any cause, whichever occurred first. PFS included PSA progression as a component of the composite endpoint. Trial level surrogacy was evaluated by fitting linear regression on the treatment effect of rPFS (or PFS) and OS (in other words, the weighted linear regression of the log(hazard ratio) of OS on the log(hazard ratio) of rPFS). It was pre-specified that rPFS would be considered a valid surrogate for OS if R² was 0·7 or higher. Results: We identified 33 in men with mCRPC post docetaxel approval. We assessed the association between PFS and OS in 29,456 patients from 30 trials. Overall, a moderate correlation was observed at the trial level between OS and PFS ( R2 = 0.46, 95 %CI = 0.20-0.68) in these trials. In 18 trials with 16,818 mCRPC patients where rPFS was considered as a key endpoint, a moderate correlation between the treatment effects on rPFS and OS was observed at the trial level ( R2= 0.65, 95% CI = 0.23-0.87). Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrates moderate correlation between treatment effects of rPFS and OS in patients with mCRPC. However, rPFS did not meet the pre-specified surrogacy threshold of 0.7. Clinical trial information: several.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 506-515
Author(s):  
Vanita Noronha ◽  
Amit Joshi ◽  
Vamshi Krishna Muddu ◽  
Vijay Maruti Patil ◽  
Kumar Prabhash

Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of cabazitaxel in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients from the named patient programme (NPP) at our centre. Methods: mCRPC patients who progressed on docetaxel were given cabazitaxel intravenously every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Overall survival, progression-free survival, prostate-specific antigen response, quality of life (QOL) changes, and safety were reported. Results: Nine men received cabazitaxel (median: 7 cycles; range: 1–27) under the NPP and were followed until death. Median survival was 14.07 months (1.07–23.80) and progression-free survival was 2.67 months (1.07–20.27). QOL was stable for most patients. Common adverse events (grade ≥3) were neutropenia (n = 8), anaemia (n = 4), and leucopenia (n = 4). Conclusion: These data from 9 patients are consistent with the results reported in the TROPIC study with a manageable safety profile.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (suppl_6) ◽  
pp. vi234-vi235
Author(s):  
Kim Edelstein ◽  
Kristin Campbell ◽  
Lori Bernstein ◽  
Ilyse Lax ◽  
Felicity Backhouse ◽  
...  

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