Immuno-oncological effects of standard anticancer agents and commonly used concomitant drugs: an in vitro assessment.

BACKGROUND: It has become evident in the field of oncology that the outcome of medical treatment is influenced by the combined effect exerted on both cancer- and immune cells. Therefore, we evaluated potential immunological effects of 46 standard anticancer agents and 22 commonly administered concomitant non-cancer drugs. METHODS: We utilized a miniaturized in vitro model system comprised of fluorescently labeled human colon and lung cancer cell lines grown as monocultures and co-cultured with activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The Bliss Independence Model was then applied to detect antagonism and synergy between the drugs and activated immune cells. RESULTS: Among the standard anticancer agents, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) stood out as the top inducers of both antagonism and synergy. Ruxolitinib and dasatinib emerged as the most notably antagonistic substances, exhibiting the lowest Bliss scores, whereas sorafenib was shown to synergize with activated PBMCs. Most concomitant drugs did not induce neither antagonism nor synergy. However, the statins mevastatin and simvastatin were uniquely shown to synergize with activated PBMC at all tested drug concentrations in the colon cancer model. CONCLUSION: We utilized a miniaturized tumor-immune model to enable time and cost-effective evaluation of a broad panel of drugs in an immuno-oncology setting in vitro. Using this approach, immunomodulatory effects exerted by TKIs and statins were identified.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of imatinib versus dasatinib in the treatment of pediatric Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia when combined with conventional chemotherapy in China.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with conventional chemotherapy (CC) in treating Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-positive ALL) has achieved promising efficacy and safety outcomes. The study was conducted to compare the cost-effectiveness between imatinib (HANSOH Pharma, Jiangsu, China) and dasatinib (CHIATAI TIANQING Pharma, Jiangsu, China) in treating pediatric Ph-positive ALL when combined with CC from the perspective of the health system in China. METHODS: A Markov model was established to simulate a hypothetical cohort of pediatric Ph-positive ALL patients receiving imatinib or dasatinib, combined with CC. The model was designed using a 10-year horizon, a 3- month cycle, and a 5% discount rate. Three health states were included: alive with progression-free survival, progressed disease, and death. Patient characteristics and transition probabilities were estimated based on clinical trials. Other relevant data, such as direct treatment costs and health utility data were extracted from published literature and Sichuan Province's centralized procurement and supervision platform. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the robustness of the results. The willingness-to-pay (WTP) was set as three times China's GDP per capita in 2021. RESULTS: In the base-case analysis, the total medical costs were $89,701 and $101,182, and the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained were 1.99 and 2.70, for imatinib and dasatinib regimens, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for dasatinib versus imatinib was $16,170/QALY. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that treatment with dasatinib combined with CC achieved a 96.4% probability of cost-effectiveness at a WTP threshold of $37,765/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Dasatinib combined with CC is likely to be a cost-effective strategy compared to imatinib combination therapy for pediatric Ph-positive ALL in China at a WTP threshold of $37,765/QALY.

An Analysis of Dasatinib Treatment Patterns in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia after Experiencing Pleural Effusion during Dasatinib Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment with dasatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has been associated with development of pleural effusion; however, data regarding its optimal management are limited. We examined treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs among patients with CML treated with dasatinib who experienced a subsequent pleural effusion. METHODS: Adults with CML and ≥1 pharmacy claim for dasatinib in 2015-2018 who experienced pleural effusion after dasatinib were identified using data from claims databases. RESULTS: Overall, 123 patients were eligible. After 1 year, of the 38.2% of patients with a dose modification, 72.3% did not switch treatment; among these patients, 70.6% continued treatment. Among patients with a stable dose after pleural effusion (61.8%), 57.9% later switched to another TKI. The mean (SD) duration of dasatinib treatment after pleural effusion was 262.0 (124.0) days for patients with a dose modification versus 149.1 (155.2) days for those with a stable dose (p < 0.001). HCRU and costs were similar between groups. CONCLUSION: Dasatinib dose modification after pleural effusion was not always required; however, patients with dose modifications continued therapy for a longer duration with a lower rate of switching to another TKI versus patients who remained on a stable dose.

The Economic Burden of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Patients with Later Lines: Findings from a Real-World Analysis in Italy.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic myeloproliferative disorder that accounts for 20% of all leukemias of adults. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (imatinib, bosutinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, ponatinib) has yielded significant benefits for patients with CML in terms of survival and quality of life. This real-world analysis evaluated the economic burden for managing patients with CML in 2nd or ≥ 3rd TKI lines in Italian settings of clinical practice. METHODS: A retrospective observational analysis was performed exploiting the administrative databases of a sample of entities covering around 15 million inhabitants. From 2015 to 2018, the study included adult patients with at least one prescription for TKIs, (and for some TKI with at least one hospitalization discharge diagnosis for CML, or at least one prescription for BCR-ABL examination). The index date was the first TKI prescription. Healthcare resource consumption and costs for patients with CML in 2nd and ≥ 3rd line treatment with TKIs were analyzed for drug prescriptions, hospitalizations, specialist visits, and diagnostic services. RESULTS: In total 635 patients were included, 491 in 2nd line and 144 in 3rd line with TKIs. Dasatinib was the most frequently prescribed drug in 2nd line (28.9%) and imatinib in later lines (26.4%). With progressing lines of treatment, healthcare consumption showed a trend towards increased non-TKI prescriptions per patient (8 for 2nd line and 9.7 for ≥ 3rd line). The management of patients with CML in later lines resulted in increased overall healthcare burden, with hospitalizations accounting for about half of total expenditure, whatever the treatment line and type of TKI. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis in Italian real-life clinical practice reported economic expenditure for patients with CML in 2nd or ≥ 3rd lines with TKIs, mostly burdened by hospitalizations. Such clinical complexity suggests that further efforts are needed to improve the therapeutic management of later lines of CML.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of dasatinib versus imatinib in pediatric philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients in China.

BACKGROUND: Dasatinib and imatinib are the recommended tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for treating pediatric Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL), and the one which has been approved indication in China is imatinib. Recently, clinical demand for Ph + ALL treatment is becoming unmet gradually with the increasing resistance of imatinib. There are some studies reporting the better efficacy and comparative safety of dasatinib compared with imatinib, but no economic comparison has been published. This study aims to supplement economic evidence by comparing the cost-effectiveness between imatinib and dasatinib in treating pediatric patients with Ph+ ALL in China, and to help clinical rational drug use via multi-dimensional value assessment. METHODS: A decision tree model combined with a 10-year Markov model were established based on the disease progression. The parameters were collected from published literatures and our hospital's electronic medical records. From the health system perspective, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the two treatment groups was calculated through cost-effectiveness analysis and then compared with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold. The set WTP threshold in this study was 1 times per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of China, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Direct medical costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated and discounted at 5%. The sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty and robustness of the results. RESULTS: The total costs were CNY 1,020,995.35 and CNY 1,035,788.50 in imatinib group and dasatinib group during the 10-year simulation, and the total QALYs were 2.59 and 4.84. Compared with the imatinib treatment group, the ICER was around CNY 6,575.78/ QALY, which was less than the set threshold CNY 70,892/ QALY. The sensitive analyses indicated the robustness of the results. CONCLUSIONS: The cost-effectiveness analysis shows the potential cost-effective advantages of adding dasatinib comparing with adding imatinib for pediatric Ph + ALL patients in China under the set WTP threshold, which indicates that those patients could achieve more QALYs by paying acceptable fee.

Inequality in Drug Utilization among Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Patients in Malaysia: A Cost-Utility Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The burden of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is increasing due to longer patient survival, better life expectancy of the general population, and increasing drug prices. Funding is one of the main concerns in the choice of CML medication used worldwide; thus, patient assistance programmes were introduced to ensure accessibility to affordable treatment. In this study, we evaluated CML drug distribution inequality in Malaysia through patient assistance programmes, using pharmaco-economics methods to evaluate CML treatment from the care provider's perspective. METHODS: Patients with CML were recruited from outpatient haematological clinics at the national centre of intervention and referral for haematological conditions and a public teaching hospital. The health-related quality of life or utility scores were derived using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. Costing data were obtained from the Ministry of Health Malaysia Casemix MalaysianDRG. Imatinib and nilotinib drug costs were obtained from the administration of the participating hospitals and pharmaceutical company. RESULTS: Of the 221 respondents in this study, 68.8% were imatinib users. The total care provider cost for CML treatment was USD23,014.40 for imatinib and USD43,442.69 for nilotinib. The governmental financial assistance programme reduced the total care provider cost to USD13,693.51 for imatinib and USD19,193.45 for nilotinib. The quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were 17.87 and 20.91 per imatinib and nilotinib user, respectively. Nilotinib had a higher drug cost than imatinib, yet its users had better life expectancy, utility score, and QALYs. Imatinib yielded the lowest cost per QALYs at USD766.29. CONCLUSION: Overall, imatinib is more cost-effective than nilotinib for treating CML in Malaysia from the care provider's perspective. The findings demonstrate the importance of cancer drug funding assistance for ensuring that the appropriate treatments are accessible and affordable and that patients with cancer use and benefit from such patient assistance programmes. To establish effective health expenditure, drug distribution inequality should be addressed.

Ex vivo assessment of cancer drug sensitivity in epithelial ovarian cancer and its association with histopathological type, treatment history and clinical outcome.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is divided into type I and type II based on histopathological features. Type I is clinically more indolent, but also less sensitive to chemotherapy, compared with type II. The basis for this difference is not fully clarified. The present study investigated the pattern of drug activity in type I and type II EOC for standard cytotoxic drugs and recently introduced tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and assessed the association with treatment history and clinical outcome. Isolated EOC tumor cells obtained at surgery were investigated for their sensitivity to seven standard cytotoxic drugs and nine TKIs using a short­term fluorescent microculture cytotoxicity assay (FMCA). Drug activity was compared with respect to EOC subtype, preoperative chemotherapy, cross­resistance and association with progression­free survival (PFS). Out of 128 EOC samples, 120 samples, including 21 type I and 99 type II, were successfully analyzed using FMCA. Patients with EOC type I had a significantly longer PFS time than patients with EOC type II (P=0.01). In line with clinical experience, EOC type I samples were generally more resistant than type II samples to both standard cytotoxic drugs and the TKIs, reaching statistical significance for cisplatin (P=0.03) and dasatinib (P=0.002). A similar pattern was noted in samples from patients treated with chemotherapy prior to surgery compared with treatment­naive samples, reaching statistical significance for fluorouracil, irinotecan, dasatinib and nintedanib (all P<0.05). PFS time gradually shortened with increasing degree of drug resistance. Cross­resistance between drugs was in most cases statistically significant yet moderate in degree (r<0.5). The clinically observed relative drug resistance of EOC type I, as well as in patients previously treated, is at least partly due to mechanisms in the tumor cells. These mechanisms seemingly also encompass kinase inhibitors. Ex vivo assessment of drug activity is suggested to have a role in the optimization of drug therapy in EOC.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Economic Evaluations of Treatments for Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of chronic myeloid leukemia is associated with an extensive economic burden, and as novel interventions are being tested in this disease, understanding the comparative effectiveness is of interest. Findings and conclusions of this important issue continue to evolve with improvements in clinical research and economic understanding. This systematic literature review aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of economic evaluations in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. METHODS: Embase®, MEDLINE®, and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database were searched on 4 July, 2022 to identify economic evaluations of chronic myeloid leukemia. Health technology assessment websites and key conference proceedings were also searched. Economic evaluations comparing treatment options in adult patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia were included. The quality of the studies were assessed using Drummond's checklists. RESULTS: The search retrieved 47 studies and 16 health technology assessments that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Most were cost-utility analyses (23 studies and 11 health technology assessments) and were from the USA (n = 15) and China (n = 7). Twenty-seven studies and six health technology assessments included only patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. Most models had a Markov structure, a 1 year to lifetime time horizon, and a 1-month cycle length. Commonly assessed treatments were various tyrosine kinase inhibitors (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, bosutinib, and ponatinib) and other interventions such as interferon-α, hydroxyurea, and allogeneic stem cell transplant. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia, imatinib regimens were cost effective, mostly owing to the availability of generics. Nilotinib and dasatinib were generally cost effective as second-line agents for patients who were resistant or intolerant to imatinib. Though progress has been made to better characterize the cost effectiveness of first-line and second-line chronic myeloid leukemia therapies, the paucity of published cost-effectiveness studies of third-line treatments increases the uncertainty associated with economic evaluations of later lines of therapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Generic Dasatinib in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase: A Multicenter Prospective Study in China.

BACKGROUND: Brand-name dasatinib was approved for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia-chronic phase (CML-CP) patients due to its deeper and faster molecular response than imatinib. Generics, as the alternative, low-cost forms, are much in demand. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of generic dasatinib (Yinishu) as a first-line treatment in CML-CP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study from May 2016 to October 2018 with a 2-year follow-up analysis. All patients were given 100 mg/d (initial dose) of the generic dasatinib once a day. The primary endpoint was the major molecular response (MMR) calculated based on the BCR-ABL1 gene mutation rate of ≤ .1% at 12 months. RESULTS: Among 55 patients in CP observed for at least 3 months, 80.4% achieved MMR at 12 months. The cumulative MR4.5 was 58.2% by 24 months. Responses occurred rapidly, with 69.1% of patients achieving complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) by 3 months and 70.9% achieving CCyR by 6 months. The estimated 2-year PFS and OS were both 96%, with a median follow-up time of 24 months. Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in 8.5% of patients, and thrombocytopenia occurred in 11.9% of patients. Nonhematologic toxicity was usually mild and manageable. Pleural effusion occurred in 20.3% of patients, and only 1 patient (1.7%) had a grade 3 pleural effusion. No grade 4 adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: Generic dasatinib is an effective option for newly diagnosed CML-CP patients, producing an MMR early in a greater number of patients during their therapy.

[Prevalence of Adverse Effects of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Used in Management of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia at Sidi Bel-Abbès University Hospital Center]. / Prévalence des Effets Indésirables des Inhibiteurs de Tyrosine Kinase Utilisés dans le Traitement de la Leucémie Myéloïde Chronique au CHU de Sidi Bel-Abbès.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a malignant hemopathy within the framework of chronic myeloproliferative syndromes, predominant on the granular line. Her drug treatment is based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) which inhibit the abnormal BCR-ABL protein kinase that causes CML and thus block the signals that cause cancer cells to multiply abnormally. However, other proteins are also inhibited, so they can cause a wide range of adverse effects (AEs). The objective of this study was to study the prevalence of AEs of TKIs used in the therapeutic management of CML by the hematology department of University Hospital Center (UHC) of Sidi Bel-Abbes in Algeria and that of the ITK discontinuation following an AE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a retrospective descriptive study carried out over a period of four months, from April 01st, 2021 to July 31st, 2021, on CML patients treated with TKI in the hematology department of Sidi Bel-Abbes HUC in Algeria. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of AEs associated with the use of normal dosages or overdose of the following TKIs: Imatinib, Dasatinib and Nilotinib. Data were collected from patient charts, filled by doctors of hematology department, using questionnaire, and analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 20. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were included, including 22 women, mean age 51.55±11.66years (23-78). Twenty-six patients reported at least one AE. Among the 106 AEs declared, 69 AEs (65.09 %) declared with Imatinib, 26 AEs (24.53 %) with Dasatinib and 11 AEs (10.38 %) with Nilotinib. A predominance of musculoskeletal effects 43 (40.56 %), followed by general disorders 18 (17 %), myelosuppression 14 (13.20 %) and digestive system 12 (11.32 %). AEs were responsible for permanent discontinuation of ITK in three cases (11.54 %), including two cases (07.70 %) on Imatinib because of neutropenia and one case (03.84 %) onDasatinibsuffering from pleural effusion. AEs could be controlled in 13 (50 %) of cases, including 9 (34.62%) by temporary discontinuation and 4 (15.38 %) by reducing the dosage, allowing improvement of symptoms and continuation or reintroduction of treatment. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AEs was high in the studied population, their occurrence was inevitable, good management of AEs from the start of treatment is necessary to avoid switching to another TKI, especially in good responders. It is recommended to establish a low-sodium diet beforehand for all TKIs and a low-carbohydrate diet, especially for Nilotinib, and not to rush to stop the TKI because most often, EIs regress over time in order to allow good therapeutic adherence and obtain better results.

Safety and cost-effectiveness of ponatinib versus other tyrosine kinase inhibitors as second-line therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the United States.

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ponatinib compared with second-line TKIs in the treatment of adult patients with CML who failed, or were intolerant to, first-line TKIs. A Markov state transition model was conducted. Model transition, adverse-effect probabilities, utility data and medical costs were obtained from clinical trials and literature. Measurements included medications, follow-ups, adverse events, allogeneic stem cell transplantation and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Univariable and Bayesian multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted using Monte Carlo simulations. Dasatinib resulted in an ICER of $79,086/QALY compared to nilotinib. Ponatinib yielded an ICER of $176,278/QALY and $141,563/QALY compared to dasatinib and nilotinib, respectively. Dasatinib was the optimal treatment at a $100,000/QALY threshold. The probability (36%-40%) for ponatinib or dasatinib optimal treatment was associated with thresholds of $160,000-$180,000/QALY. Dasatinib and ponatinib can be considered cost-effective options and provide clinical benefits compared to other second-line TKIs for CML in the US.

Experimental and computational assessment of the synergistic pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions of a triple combination therapy in refractory HER2-positive breast cancer cells.

The development of innate and/or acquired resistance to human epidermal growth factor receptor type-2 (HER2)-targeted therapy in HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2 + BC) is a major clinical challenge that needs to be addressed. One of the main mechanisms of resistance includes aberrant activation of the HER2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathways. In the present work, we propose to use a triple combination therapy to combat this resistance phenomenon. Our strategy involves evaluation of two targeted small molecule agents, everolimus and dasatinib, with complementary inhibitory circuitries in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, along with a standard cytotoxic agent, paclitaxel. Everolimus inhibits mTOR, while dasatinib inhibits Src, which is a protein upstream of Akt. An over-activation of these two proteins has been implicated in approximately 50% of HER2 + BC cases. Hence, we hypothesize that their simultaneous inhibition may lead to enhanced cell-growth inhibition. Moreover, the potent apoptotic effects of paclitaxel may help augment the overall cytotoxicity of the proposed triple combination in HER2 + BC cells. To this end, we investigated experimentally and assessed computationally the in vitro pharmacodynamic drug-drug interactions of the various dual and triple combinations to assess their subsequent combinatorial effects (synergistic/additive/antagonistic) in a HER2-therapy resistant BC cell line, JIMT-1. Our proposed triple combination therapy demonstrated synergism in JIMT-1 cells, thus corroborating our hypothesis. This effort may form the basis for further investigation of the triple combination therapy in vivo at a mechanistic level in HER2-therapy resistant BC cells.

Eficacia y seguridad del Nilotinib como tratamiento de segunda línea en pacientes con Leucemia Mieloide Crónica, sin mutación T315I, con resistencia o intolerancia a Imatinib o Dasatinib / Eficacia y seguridad del Nilotinib como tratamiento de segunda línea en pacientes con Leucemia Mieloide Crónica, sin mutación T315I, con resistencia o intolerancia a Imatinib o Dasatinib

INTRODUCCIÓN: La incidencia de pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica llega a representar el 15%- 20% de las leucemias, de las cuales la mayoría inicia un tratamiento de primera línea (imatinib o dasatinib). Sin embargo, un porcentaje de ellos generan intolerancia o resistencia, teniendo que iniciar TKI de nueva generación. Actualmente a nivel institucional se cuenta con 07 pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica en fase crónica que reciben tratamiento con nilotinib. El nilotinib es un inhibidor de la actividad de la tirosina quinasa ABL de la oncoproteína BCR-ABL. Actúa en las líneas celulares como en las células leucémicas primarias "cromosoma Filadelfia positivo". Se utiliza en el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con leucemia mieloide crónica (LMC) cromosoma Filadelfia positivo en fase crónica y en fase acelerada, con intolerancia a un tratamiento previo. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática y dirigida de las principales bases de datos encontrándose 02 ETS, 05 GPC y 01 RS y 02 estudios primarios sobre el tema. Las 05 GPC encontradas incluyen el uso de un TKi de segunda generación como parte de una segunda línea de tratamiento en pacientes LMC-FC que sean resistentes a imatinib en primera línea, éstas GPC revisadas también mencionan que el uso de nilotinib debe plantearse en casos específicos donde los pacientes hayan recibido una terapia de primera línea con imatinib a la cual sean intolerantes o resistentes y que de manera individual podrían tener factores de riesgo para que sean más propensos a desarrollar eventos adversos o intolerancia/resistencia a dasatinib. RESULTADOS: Las 02 ETS encontradas avalan el uso de nilotinib en pacientes con LMC-FC que reporten intolerancia o resistencia a imatinib o dasatinib, de estas ETS corresponden a una realizada a nivel nacional y otra realizada en un país latinoamericano con contextos similares a Perú. La RS y los estudios primarios reportados han concluido que nilotinib ha presentado desenlaces favorables y EA infrecuentes en el manejo de la LMC-FC. Sin embargo, los estudios incluidos en la RS y los estudios primarios eran de un solo brazo. Ello establece ciertas limitaciones en la evidencia encontrada. CONCLUSIÓN: Si bien la mejor evidencia científica disponible es limitada; sin embargo, se ha reportado tanto en las ETS, GPC, RS y en los estudios primarios recomendaciones a favor, desenlaces favorables y eventos adversos manejables de nilotinib en terapia de segunda línea. Por lo cual, el panel aprueba el uso de nilotinib en pacientes con LMC-FC que sean resistentes o intolerantes a imatinib en primera línea.

Eficacia y seguridad de dasatinib en pacientes adultos con leucemia linfoblástica aguda philadelphia positivo resistente o intolerante a quimioterapia más imatinib / Efficacy and safety of dasatinib in adult patients with philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia resistant or intolerant to chemotherapy plus imatinib

ANTECEDENTES : El presente dictamen expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de dasatinib con o sin quimioterapia, comparado con quimioterapia, en pacientes adultos con leucemia linfoblástica aguda, philadelphia positivo, resistente o intolerante a quimioterapia más imatinib. En la literatura se señala que, la leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) cromosoma Philadelphia positivo (Ph+) representa entre el 20.0 al 30 % de los casos de LLA. En el Perú, no se conoce el número de casos de LLA Ph+; sin embargo, se conoce que, en el 2019, la tasa de incidencia de LLA en personas mayores de 20 años fue de 1.04 casos por cada 100,000 personas y la tasa de mortalidad fue de 0.79 muertes por cada 100,000 personas.  Luego de la terapia de inducción con un inhibidor de la tirosina quinasa (TKI, por sus siglas en inglés), entre el 10 y 20 % de los pacientes desarrolla LLA resistente. Debido a la aparición de casos de resistencia o intolerancia a los TKI de primera generación (imatinib), se han desarrollado otros TKI, como dasatinib. En EsSalud, se cuentan con varias opciones de medicamentos que pueden ser empleados en diferentes esquemas de quimioterapia en este grupo de pacientes con resistencia o intolerancia a TKI. Actualmente, dasatinib se encuentra disponible en EsSalud para el tratamiento de pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica (LMC), Ph+ resistente o intolerante a tratamientos previos a dosis altas a imatinib y sin mutación T315l. No obstante, algunos especialistas de EsSalud solicitan que se amplíe el uso de dasatinib a pacientes adultos con LLA Ph+ resistente o intolerante, aduciendo que dasatinib (con o sin quimioterapia) podría mejorar la sobrevida libre de progresión (SLP) del paciente. Así, el presente dictamen preliminar expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de dasatinib, con o sin quimioterapia, en pacientes adultos con LLA Ph+ resistente o intolerante a quimioterapia más imatinib. METODOLOGÍA: Tras la búsqueda de la literatura científica, se identificaron dos guías de práctica clínicas (GPC) elaboradas por The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) y The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), y dos evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS) elaboradas por The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) y Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologías no Sistema Único de Saúde (CONITEC). Además, se encontraron dos estudios de fase II; sin grupo de comparación, el estudio START-L (Ottman et al., 2007), empleado para sustentar la aprobación acelerada de uso de dasatinib por parte de la Food and Drug Administration (FDA) y la aprobación de la European Medicines Agency (EMA) en pacientes con LLA Ph+ y resistencia o intolerancia a una terapia previa, y el estudio de Sakamaki et al., 2009. RESULTADOS: Se describe la evidencia disponible según el tipo de publicación, siguiendo lo indicado en los criterios de elegibilidad. CONCLUSIONES: En el presente documento, se evaluó la mejor evidencia científica disponible hasta la actualidad, sobre la eficacia y seguridad de dasatinib con o sin quimioterapia, comparado con quimioterapia, en pacientes adultos con LLA Ph+y resistencia o intolerancia a la quimioterapia más imatinib. La búsqueda sistemática de la evidencia culminó con la selección de dos GPC (NCCN 2021; Hoelzer et al. 2016), dos ETS (CONITEC 2020; SMC 2007), el estudio de fase II START-L, pivotal de dasatinib (Ottmann et al. 2007), y el estudio de fase II de Sakamaki et al. (Sakamaki et al. 2009). Las GPC del NCCN y ESMO coinciden en señalar que la evidencia disponible sobre el uso de dasatinib para el tratamiento de los pacientes con LLA Ph+ y resistencia o recaída no es de calidad. Por ello, la ESMO resalta que no hay una terapia estándar de reinducción y el NCCN recomienda, especialmente, la participación en un ensayo clínico. Las ETS del SMC y del CONITEC coinciden en dar una recomendación en contra del uso de dasatinib en pacientes con LLA Ph+ con resistencia/recaída a una terapia previa o al mesilato de imatinib. La SMC basó en que la terapia con dasatinib no sería costo-efectiva en este grupo de pacientes; y la CONITEC, en la alta incidencia de EAS, y las altas tasas de abandono del tratamiento y de reducción de dosis observadas en la evidencia analizada. Los estudios START-L y de Sakamaki et al., de fase II, presentaron limitaciones (e.g. falta de un grupo de comparación, pequeño tamaño de la muestra y la falta de acceso al protocolo del estudio) que afectan la validez de sus resultados. Aun así, sus resultados sugieren que el perfil de seguridad de dasatinib no puede ser considerado como favorable para los pacientes (altas tasas de eventos adversos, reducción de dosis de dasatinib y descontinuación del tratamiento). Actualmente, en EsSalud, se cuentan con varias opciones de medicamentos que pueden ser empleados en diferentes esquemas de quimioterapia para pacientes con LLA Ph+ resistente o intolerante a quimioterapia más imatinib. Por lo expuesto, el IETSI no aprueba el uso de dasatinib con o sin quimioterapia en pacientes adultos con LLA Ph+ resistente o intolerante a quimioterapia más imatinib.

Eficacia y seguridad de bosutinib en pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica con el gen de fusion bcr-abl, con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia a imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib / Efficacy and safety of bosutinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia with the bcr-abl fusion gene, negative T315I mutation and with failure and/or intolerance to imatinib, dasatinib and nilotinib

INTRODUCCIÓN: El presente dictamen preliminar expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de bosutinib, comparado con la mejor terapia de soporte, para el tratamiento de pacientes con leucemia mieloide crónica con el gen de fusión BCR-ABL, con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia a imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib. La leucemia mieloide crónica (LMC) es una neoplasia mieloproliferativa y de baja frecuencia; no obstante, es la sexta causa de muerte por cáncer en Perú. El gen de fusión BCR-ABL, presente en más del 90 % de los casos, produce una proteína con alta actividad catalítica de tirosina quinasa, implicada en la patogénesis de la LMC. Esta enfermedad consta de tres fases: crónica, acelerada y de crisis blástica. Si bien el trasplante alogénico de células hematopoyéticas (TACMH) es potencialmente curativo, algunos pacientes no son candidatos a recibir un TACMH o no es posible encontrar un donante compatible. En estos casos, los pacientes pueden recibir inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa (ITQ), los cuales actúan de manera específica sobre la proliferación celular inducida por el gen de fusión BCR-ABL. En EsSalud se cuenta con tres ITQ (imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib) que pueden ser utilizados hasta una tercera línea de tratamiento. Sin embargo, existen pacientes, con la mutación T315I negativo, no respondedores a los tres ITQ por falla o intolerancia, para quienes los médicos especialistas de la institución sugieren el uso de bosutinib, un ITQ de segunda generación, como cuarta línea de tratamiento. METODOLOGÍA: Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura con el objetivo de identificar la mejor evidencia sobre la eficacia y seguridad de bosutinib, en comparación con la mejor terapia de soporte, para el tratamiento de pacientes con LMC con el gen de fusión BCR-ABL, con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia a imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib. La búsqueda se realizó en las bases de datos: PubMed, The Cochrane Library y LILACS. Adicionalmente, se realizó una búsqueda manual dentro de las páginas web pertenecientes a grupos que realizan evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS) y guías de práctica clínica (GPC) incluyendo: el National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), la Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), el Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), el Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), el Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), el Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG por sus siglas en alemán), la Base Regional de Informes de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud de las Américas (BRISA), la OMS, el Ministerio de Salud del Perú (MINSA), el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI), la National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), la British Society for Haematology (BSH) y la European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Finalmente, se realizó una búsqueda manual en la página web de registro de ensayos clínicos (EC) de ClinicalTrials.gov para identificar EC en curso o con resultados que no hayan sido publicados. RESULTADOS: La presente sinopsis describe la evidencia científica sobre el uso de bosutinib como tratamiento de pacientes con LMC con el gen de fusión BCR-ABL, con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia a imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib, según el tipo de publicación. CONCLUSIONES: El objetivo del presente dictamen fue evaluar la mejor evidencia disponible sobre la eficacia y seguridad de bosutinib comparado con la mejor terapia de soporte (hidroxiurea) para el tratamiento de pacientes con LMC con el gen de fusión BCR-ABL (cromosoma Ph positivo), con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia a imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib. La población de interés (pacientes con LMC con cromosoma Ph positivo, con mutación T315I negativo y con falla y/o intolerancia imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib) no cuenta con una alternativa de tratamiento contra la LMC (vacío terapéutico), ante el vacío terapéutico estos pacientes progresarían a etapas más avanzadas con mayor riesgo de muerte. Luego de la búsqueda de la literatura se identificó una GPC desarrollada por BSH; cuatro ETS desarrolladas por el SMC, la CADTH, el NICE y el IQWiG; un EC de fase I/II (estudio pivotal) publicado por Khoury et al.; un EC de fase IV (fase de post comercialización) publicado por Hochhaus et al. y un estudio observacional retrospectivo publicado por García-Gutiérrez et al. Debido a las limitaciones del los ECA de fase II y IV y el estudio observacional (todos sin grupo de comparación), la eficacia y seguridad de bosutinib y su beneficio neto en la calidad de vida son inciertos puesto que no se puede establecer una relación causal entre los resultados reportados y el tratamiento con bosutinib. No obstante, cabe precisar que datos descriptivos muestran que la mortalidad a los dos años con el uso bosutinib es menor al 5 %, mientras que con el uso de hidroxiurea sería entre 20 % y 47.5 %. La guía recomienda usar ITQ en el contexto de cuarta línea en pacientes con intolerancia a ITQ recibidos previamente. No obstante, no se especifica la evidencia de soporte. Las ETS de NICE, SMC y CADTH optaron por recomendar el uso de bosutinib en pacientes adultos con LMC con cromosoma Ph positivo, que previamente han recibido ITQ y para quienes imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib no son apropiados, dicha recomendación fue condicionada a un descuento confidencial sobre el precio de lista de bosutinib. Las tres ETS emplearon como evidencia de soporte el estudio clínico fase I/II, el cual incluyó solo tres pacientes que recibieron bosutinib en cuarta línea. La ETS de IQWiG concluye que no es posible determinar el beneficio del tratamiento con bosutinib frente a otro ITQ. La principal limitación para ello fue que el EC de fase I/II no evalúa bosutinib frente a los comparadores de interés para IQWiG, los cuales fueron diferentes a los establecidos en la PICO del presente dictamen. El uso prolongado de la terapia de soporte con hidroxiurea podría generar similares incidencias de EA que con bosutinib (toxicidad gastrointestinal, neutropenia, anemia, trombocitopenia); pero, adicionalmente podría generar otros problemas como ulceras graves, neoplasias malignas, toxicidad pulmonar, mielosupresión grave, entre otros. Existe plausibilidad biológica; ya que no todas las mutaciones que confieren resistencia a imatinib, dasatinib o nilotinib, confieren resistencia a bosutinib; y aún existe la posibilidad de que bosutinib sí sea eficaz. Por lo expuesto, el Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación aprueba el uso de bosutinib para el tratamiento de pacientes con LMC con el gen de fusión BCR-ABL (cromosoma Ph positivo), con mutación T315I negativo, con falla y/o intolerancia a tres inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa (imatinib, dasatinib y nilotinib), según lo establecido en el Anexo N°1. La vigencia del presente dictamen preliminar es de un año a partir de la fecha de publicación. Así, la continuación de dicha aprobación estará sujeta a la evaluación de los resultados obtenidos y de mayor evidencia que pueda surgir en el tiempo.

Assessment of Dasatinib Versus Nilotinib as Upfront Therapy for Chronic Phase of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Qatar: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The economic outcome research of approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treating the chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia in developing is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of dasatinib and nilotinib for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia patients. METHODS: A decision tree model was developed linking clinical effectiveness (defined as major molecular response) and/or complete cytogenetic response, utility, and cost data over a 12-month period. Patients are recruited from Qatar Cancer Registry. The probability of primary clinical outcome is calculated from DASISION (dasatinib) and ENESTnd (nilotinib) trials. Direct healthcare costs were derived from the national healthcare payer system, whereas adverse effects data were derived from local incident reporting system. RESULTS: In the first-line treatments of chronic myeloid leukemia patients, nilotinib has greater major molecular response (39% nilotinib vs 12% dasatinib) and complete cytogenetic response (24% nilotinib vs 16% dastinib) response outcomes, and more adverse effects than dasatinib (13.3% vs 4%). Moreover, nilotinib is more cost-effective with annual costs (USD63,589.59) and after 12 months of follow-up. Despite the lower acquisition annual cost of dasatinib (USD59,486.30), the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of nilotinib (vs dasatinib) per major molecular response/complete cytogenetic response achieved was USD15,481.10 per year. There were no cases in both arms that progressed to accelerated or blast phase. At a threshold of 3 times gross domestic product per capita of Qatar and according to World Health Organization recommendation, the nilotinib use is still cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Upfront therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia-chronic phase patients by nilotinib plan appears to be more cost-effective than dasatinib.

Safety assessment of polymeric micelles as an ophthalmic drug delivery system for intravitreal administration of dasatinib.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ocular safety/biocompatibility is an essential element of ophthalmic drug delivery. We previously applied poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) micelles to deliver dasatinib for the management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in vitro. Herein, we seek to ascertain the ocular safety/compatibility of blank and dasatinib loaded PEG-b-PCL micelles, which will set the stage for the future in vivo efficacy evaluations and/or clinical translation for PVR or other eye diseases. METHODS: To access the safety of blank and dasatinib loaded micelles, in vitro cell based assays (LDH cell membrane damage test, SRB cytotoxicity, TEER and permeability of RPE tight junctions), in vivo slit lamp biomicroscopy and optical coherence tomography, Ex vivo histology (H&E staining, GFAP immunofluorescence staining and TUNEL assay) were undertaken. RESULTS: Both blank and dasatinib loaded micelles showed remarkable safety profiles at cellular levels. They also caused negligible ocular toxicity/abnormalities up to 28 days post-intravitreal injection in mice. The micelles did not insult the cornea, as demonstrated by slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Ex vivo histology and in vivo optical coherence tomography revealed a normal retinal structure with minimal apoptosis and stresses. CONCLUSION: Taken together, both blank and dasatinib loaded micelles appear to be safe and their applications in drug delivery for eye diseases should be explored.

Dasatinibe para adultos com leucemia linfoblástica aguda cromossomo Philadelphia positivo resistentes/Intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe / Dasatinib for Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Resistant/Intolerant to Imatinib Mesylate

INTRODUÇÃO: A leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) é uma doença hematológica altamente agressiva, resultante da proliferação e expansão de explosões linfoides no sangue, medula óssea e outros órgãos. A LLA ocorre com uma distribuição bimodal, com um pico precoce nas crianças de 4 a 5 anos, seguido de um segundo pico aos 50 anos de idade, sendo que a incidência mundial é cerca de 1 a 4,75 / 100.000 indivíduos. A proporção entre homens e mulheres é de aproximadamente 1,3:1. A LLA cromossomo Filadélfia positivo (LLA Ph+) é uma variante biologicamente distinta de LLA, classificada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde como LLA com t (9; 22) (q34; q11.2); BCR-ABL1. A LLA Ph+ representa cerca de 20 a 30% das LLA em adultos, e 2 a 3% das LLA em crianças. Quando tratados com quimioterapia isoladamente, os pacientes com LLA Ph+ apresentam um prognóstico ruim com poucos sobreviventes aos cinco anos após o tratamento. O transplante de células hematopoiéticas alogênicas (allo-TMO) proporciona melhores resultados, curando aproximadamente 30 a 60 % dos pacientes com LLA Ph+. A utilização de inibidores da tirosina quinase (ITQ) do BCR-ABL1 (imatinibe, dasatinibe, nilotinibe) no regime de tratamento resultou em taxas de resposta superiores, permitindo assim que mais pacientes procedam ao allo-TMO. No entanto, os pacientes podem adquirir resistência ou intolerância ao tratamento com ITQ, principalmente com mesilato de imatinibe. PERGUNTA: Qual a eficácia (resposta hematológica, reposta citogenética, sobrevida) e a segurança (eventos adversos, toxicidade) do dasatinibe como tratamento de segunda linha em pacientes adultos com LLA Ph+ resistentes ou intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe? TECNOLOGIA: dasatinibe (Sprycel). EVIDÊNCIAS CLÍNICAS: Foram avaliados três estudos, sendo um ensaio clínico randomizado de fase III e dois estudo de fase 1/2. Dasatinibe 140 mg uma vez ao dia proporcionou uma sobrevida global mediana (IC95%) de 6,5 (4,6-9,8) meses, e dasatinibe 70 mg duas vezes ao dia proporcionou uma sobrevida de 9,1 (4,8-13,2) meses. A diferença entre os grupos foi não significativa ­ HR: 1,26 (IC95% 0,78-2,04). Houve uma sobrevida livre de progressão mediana (IC95%) de 4,0 (2,9-5,6) meses com o uso de dasatinibe 140 mg uma vez ao dia, e de 3,0 (2,0-4,2) meses com o uso de dasatinibe 70 mg duas vezes ao dia. Esse resultado confere ausência de diferença significante entre os grupos avaliados (0,92; IC95%: 0,58-1,47). Mais de 30% dos indivíduos, independente do estudo em questão, atingiram resposta hematológica principal (MaHR). Em geral, os indivíduos levaram pouco mais de um mês para atingir a MaHR. A resposta hematológica completa (CHR) foi alcançada por 33% dos pacientes que receberam dasatinibe 140 mg/1x dia, e por 25% dos participantes que receberam dasatinibe 70 mg 2x ao dia. A taxa de ausência de leucemia foi variável a depender do estudo (5 a 41%). Resposta citogenética principal (MCyR) foi alcançada por mais de 50% dos indivíduos avaliados, independentemente do estudo em questão. Os eventos adversos de graus 3 ou 4 mais frequentes foram os hematológicos: anemia, leucopenia, trombocitopenia e neutropenia. Conforme avaliação pela abordagem GRADE, a qualidade da evidência foi muito baixa para todos os desfechos avaliados, devido ao grave risco de viés dos estudos individuais e a pequena amostra, o que conferiu baixa precisão nas estimativas. ANÁLISE DE IMPACTO ORÇAMENTÁRIO: Foi elaborado uma análise de impacto orçamentário para estimar os gastos decorrentes da incorporação do dasatinibe no SUS em um horizonte temporal de cinco anos (2021 a 2025). Considerando a população aferida por demanda de quimioterapia de primeira linha para LLA no DATASUS, o impacto orçamentário variou de R$ 7.632.203,49 a R$ 82.217.665,35, a depender da taxa de difusão e fonte de valor de custo (Banco de Preços em Saúde ­ BPS/Sistema Integrado de Administração de Serviços Gerais ­ SIASG ou Câmara de regulação do mercado de Medicamentos ­ CMED). Considerando população estimada com dados epidemiológicos, o impacto orçamentário variou de R$ 4.647.425,94 a R$ 49.310.733,59, a depender da taxa de difusão e fonte de valor de custo (BPS/SIASG e CMED). MONITORAMENTO DO HORIZONTE TECNOLÓGICO (MHT): Os medicamentos flumatinibe (fase 3), inotuzumabe ozogamicin (fase 4) e ponatinibe (fase 3) foram detectados no MHT para pacientes adultos com LLA Ph+ resistentes/intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe. CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS: As evidências apresentadas mostram que o dasatinibe proporciona boa resposta hematológica e citogenética, podendo apresentar uma mediana de sobrevida global de até 9 meses, em pacientes com LLA Ph+ e resistentes ao mesilato de imatinibe. No entanto, os eventos adversos graves não são raros e os principais são de origem hematológica (leucopenia, neutropenia, anemia, trombocitopenia). Também não foram raros os eventos de interrupção de tratamento ou de redução de dose. Os estudos são pequenos, com baixo rigor metodológico (elevado risco de viés) e não são comparativos. Ademais, a qualidade da evidência foi avaliada como muito baixa para a totalidade dos desfechos, devido ao grave risco de viés e pequena amostra dos estudos individuais, o que conferiu baixa precisão na estimativa dos desfechos, conforme avaliado pela abordagem GRADE. Levando em conta o número de pacientes elegíveis ao tratamento (313 a 522 pacientes a depender do cenário), após a resistência/intolerância ao mesilato de imatinibe, o incremento orçamentário para a ampliação do uso de dasatinibe pode variar entre R$ 20.921.668,18 e R$ 98.479.559,89 em um horizonte temporal de cinco anos (2021-2025). RECOMENDAÇÃO PRELIMINAR DA CONITEC: A Conitec, em sua 91ª reunião ordinária, realizada no dia 07 de outubro de 2020, deliberou que a matéria fosse disponibilizada em consulta pública com recomendação preliminar não favorável à ampliação de uso no SUS do dasatinibe para adultos com leucemia linfoblástica aguda cromossomo Philadelphia positivo resistentes/intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe. Considerou-se, entre outrosfatores, que, os estudos apresentados são de baixa qualidade e não possuem comparador, pois são estudos de doses. Além disso, a maioria das agências internacionais não recomendaram a incorporação do medicamento. CONSULTA PÚBLICA: A maioria das contribuições foram de desacordo com a recomendação inicial da Conitec. A ideia central das contribuições é favorável à incorporação do dasatinibe de forma que os pacientes tenham resposta adequada a terapia com ITQ para, então, serem encaminhados ao transplante. A sociedade se manifesta descontente com relação à percebida falta de assistência aos pacientes com LLA Ph+ intolerantes ou com resistência ao imatinibe, em caso de recomendação contrária à incorporação do dasatinibe para esta indicação. RECOMENDAÇÃO FINAL: Os membros da Conitec presentes na 93ª reunião ordinária, no dia 08 de dezembro de 2020, deliberaram por unanimidade recomendar a não ampliação de uso do dasatinibe em adultos com leucemia linfoblástica aguda cromossomo Philadelphia positivo resistentes/intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe. Os membros presentes entenderam que não houve mudança no direcionamento da evidência clínica que justificasse uma alteração entre a recomendação preliminar e a recomendação final. Foi assinado o Registro de Deliberação nº 579/2020. DECISÃO: Não ampliar o uso do dasatinibe em adultos com leucemia linfoblástica aguda cromossomo Philadelphia positivo resistentes/intolerantes ao mesilato de imatinibe, no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS, conforme Portaria nº 67, publicada no Diário Oficial da União nº 250, seção 1, página 770, em 31 de dezembro de 2020.

Population-based utilization and costs associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for first-line treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia among elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Following approval of imatinib, a breakthrough tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), survival significantly improved by more than 20% since 2001 among treated chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. Subsequently, more expensive second-generation TKIs with varying selectivity profiles have been approved. Population-based studies are needed to evaluate the real-world utilization of TKI therapies, particularly given their escalating costs and recommendations for maintenance therapy. OBJECTIVE: To assess the utilization patterns of first-line TKIs, overall and by specific agent, among elderly CML patients in the United States, and the cost implications. METHODS: CML patients aged 65 years and older at diagnosis between 2007 and 2015 were identified from population-based cancer registries in the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. The percentage of CML patients receiving imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib within the first year of diagnosis was calculated along with time to first-line treatment initiation. Bivariate comparisons and Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify factors associated with TKI initiation. Average monthly patient responsibility, including patient out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, stratified by Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) status were also calculated. RESULTS: Among the 1,589 CML patients included, receipt of any TKI within 1 year of diagnosis increased from 66.2% to 78.9%. In 2015, the distribution of first-line TKI therapies was 41.3% imatinib, 28.3% dasatinib, and 9.3% nilotinib. Almost 60% of patients initiated TKI treatment within 3 months of diagnosis. Multivariable analysis indicated that TKI use in the first year was lower among the very elderly (aged > 75 years vs. 65-69 years: HR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.63-0.83), patients with more comorbidities (Hierarchical Condition Category risk score > 2 vs. HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.62-0.88), and patients ineligible for LIS (HR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.65-0.87). Average monthly patient OOP cost was significantly lower for LIS-eligible versus LIS-ineligible patients: imatinib (2016: $12 vs. $487), dasatinib (2016: $34 vs. $557), and nilotinib (2016: $1 vs. $526). CONCLUSIONS: TKI use has increased significantly since 2007. While imatinib remained the most frequently prescribed first-line agent, by 2015 newer TKIs represented one third of the market share. Utilization patterns indicated persistent age, comorbidity, and financial barriers. TKI use is indicated for long-term therapy, and increased adoption of newer, more expensive agents raises concerns about the sustained affordability of CML treatment, particularly among unsubsidized patients. DISCLOSURES: No outside funding supported this study. There are no reported conflicts of interest.