Cost-effectiveness analysis of atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Objectives A double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial has shown atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer could significantly prolong overall survival and progression-free survival than chemotherapy alone. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung from an American perspective. Materials and methods Basic medical information was derived from the double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial (IMpower133, NCT02763579). A Markov model was developed to simulate the process of small-cell lung cancer, including three health states: progression-free survival (PFS), progressive disease (PD), and death. Utilities and costs were obtained from published resources. Sensitivity analyses were applied to explore the impact of essential variables. Results Treatment with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy was estimated to increase costs by $52,881compared with chemotherapy alone, with a gain of 0.10 quality adjusted life years (QALYs), leading to an incremental cost-effective ratio of $528,810 per QALY. The cost of PFS state and atezolizumab were the most influential factors to the model. Conclusion The combination of atezolizumab, carboplatin and etoposide is not a cost-effective choice in the first-line treatment of extensive-stage SCLC from an American perspective.