Cost-Effectiveness of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab Combined with Two Cycles of Chemotherapy as First-Line Treatment in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction The effectiveness of nivolumab plus ipilimumab with two cycles of chemotherapy (NIC) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been demonstrated. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of NIC for advanced NSCLC from the US payer perspective. Methods A Markov model has been established to predict the disease course of previously untreated advanced NSCLC. The clinical data were derived from the CheckMate 9LA trial. Cost and utility were obtained from the literature. Model outputs included the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), incremental monetary benefit (INMB), and incremental net-health benefit (INHB). A series of sensitivity analyses were performed to analyze the uncertainty of the model. Results Our results showed that NIC versus chemotherapy alone cost $264,278 and yielded an additional 0.80 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), which led to an ICER of $202,275/QALY gained. The INHB was - 0.28 QALY, and the INMB was - $41,865 at the threshold of $150,000/QALY. The results of one-way sensitivity analysis showed that the hazard ratio of overall survival was the most sensitive parameter. Conclusion NIC was unlikely to be cost-effective as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of nivolumab plus ipilimumab with two cycles of chemotherapy (NIC) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the US payer perspective, using a Markov model and data from the CheckMate 9LA trial. The results showed that NIC was unlikely to be cost-effective as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced NSCLC, with the most sensitive parameter being the hazard ratio of overall survival.