Real-world diagnostic outcomes and cost-effectiveness of genome-wide sequencing for developmental and seizure disorders: Evidence from Canada.

PURPOSE: To determine real-world diagnostic rates, cost trajectories, and cost-effectiveness of exome sequencing (ES) and genome sequencing (GS) for children with developmental and/or seizure disorders in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: Based on medical records review, we estimated real-world costs and outcomes for 491 patients who underwent standard of care (SOC) diagnostic testing at British Columbia Children's Hospital. Results informed a state-transition Markov model examining cost-effectiveness of 3 competing diagnostic strategies: (1) SOC with last-tier access to ES, (2) streamlined ES access, and (3) first-tier GS. RESULTS: Through SOC, 49.4% (95% CI: 40.6, 58.2) of patients were diagnosed at an average cost of C$11,683 per patient (95% CI: 9200, 14,166). Compared with SOC, earlier ES or GS access yielded similar or improved diagnostic rates and shorter times to genetic diagnosis, with 94% of simulations demonstrating cost savings for streamlined ES and 60% for first-tier GS. Net benefit from the perspective of the health care system was C$2956 (95% CI: -608, 6519) for streamlined ES compared with SOC. CONCLUSION: Using real-world data, we found earlier access to ES may yield more rapid genetic diagnosis of childhood developmental and seizure disorders and cost savings compared with current practice in a Canadian health care system.

Toward Best Practices for Economic Evaluations of Tumor-Agnostic Therapies: A Review of Current Barriers and Solutions.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer therapies targeting tumor-agnostic biomarkers are challenging traditional health technology assessment (HTA) frameworks. The high prevalence of nonrandomized single-arm trials, heterogeneity, and small benefiting populations are driving outcomes uncertainty, challenging healthcare decision making. We conducted a structured literature review to identify barriers and prioritize solutions to generating economic evidence for tumor-agnostic therapies. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and Embase for English-language studies conducting economic evaluations of tumor-agnostic treatments or exploring related challenges and solutions. We included studies published by December 2022 and supplemented our review with Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence technical reports for approved tumor-agnostic therapies. Three reviewers abstracted and summarized key methodological and empirical study characteristics. Challenges and solutions were identified through authors' statements and categorized using directed content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies met our inclusion criteria. Studies spanned economic evaluations (n = 5), reimbursement reviews (n = 4), qualitative research (n = 1), methods validations (n = 3), and commentaries or literature reviews (n = 13). Challenges encountered related to (1) the treatment setting and clinical trial designs, (2) a lack of data or low-quality data on clinical and cost parameters, and (3) an inability to produce evidence that meets HTA guidelines. Although attempted solutions centered on analytic approaches for managing missing data, proposed solutions highlighted the need for real-world evidence combined with life-cycle HTA to reduce future evidentiary uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic innovation outpaces HTA evidence generation and the methods that support it. Existing HTA frameworks must be adapted for tumor-agnostic treatments to support future economic evaluations enabling timely patient access.

Genetic matching for time-dependent treatments: a longitudinal extension and simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Longitudinal matching can mitigate confounding in observational, real-world studies of time-dependent treatments. To date, these methods have required iterative, manual re-specifications to achieve covariate balance. We propose a longitudinal extension of genetic matching, a machine learning approach that automates balancing of covariate histories. We examine performance by comparing the proposed extension against baseline propensity score matching and time-dependent propensity score matching. METHODS: To evaluate comparative performance, we developed a Monte Carlo simulation framework that reflects a static treatment assigned at multiple time points. Data generation considers a treatment assignment model, a continuous outcome model, and underlying covariates. In simulation, we generated 1,000 datasets, each consisting of 1,000 subjects, and applied: (1) nearest neighbour matching on time-invariant, baseline propensity scores; (2) sequential risk set matching on time-dependent propensity scores; and (3) longitudinal genetic matching on time-dependent covariates. To measure comparative performance, we estimated covariate balance, efficiency, bias, and root mean squared error (RMSE) of treatment effect estimates. In scenario analysis, we varied underlying assumptions for assumed covariate distributions, correlations, treatment assignment models, and outcome models. RESULTS: In all scenarios, baseline propensity score matching resulted in biased effect estimation in the presence of time-dependent confounding, with mean bias ranging from 29.7% to 37.2%. In contrast, time-dependent propensity score matching and longitudinal genetic matching achieved stronger covariate balance and yielded less biased estimation, with mean bias ranging from 0.7% to 13.7%. Across scenarios, longitudinal genetic matching achieved similar or better performance than time-dependent propensity score matching without requiring manual re-specifications or normality of covariates. CONCLUSIONS: While the most appropriate longitudinal method will depend on research questions and underlying data patterns, our study can help guide these decisions. Simulation results demonstrate the validity of our longitudinal genetic matching approach for supporting future real-world assessments of treatments accessible at multiple time points.

Development and early-stage evaluation of a patient portal to enhance familial communication about hereditary cancer susceptibility testing: A patient-driven approach.

INTRODUCTION: Genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes (HCSs) can improve health outcomes through cancer risk mitigation strategies. Effective communication between tested individuals and their family members is key to reducing the hereditary cancer burden. Our objective was to develop a patient portal to improve familial communication for patients undergoing HCS genetic testing, followed by an early-phase evaluation. METHODS: The portal was developed following the completion of 25 semistructured interviews with individuals having undergone HCS susceptibility testing at BC Cancer. Following initial development, we recruited patients and healthcare providers to provide critical feedback informing portal refinement. Quantitative feedback was summarized using descriptive statistics, and qualitative feedback was synthesized by two reviewers who engaged in iterative discussion within the research team to prioritize recommendations for integration. RESULTS: The patient portal includes four key components consisting of (a) targeted educational information about hereditary cancer and HBOC syndrome associated risks and testing process overview, (b) a general frequently asked questions 'FAQ' page informed by the qualitative interviews, patient partner feedback, and consultation with the HCP, (c) guidance to support familial communication including a video developed with a patient partner describing their lived experience navigating the communication process and (d) a series of lay summaries of genetic test findings to support information transfer among family members. Thirteen healthcare providers and seven patients participated in user testing. Domains within which participant recommendations were provided included presentation, educational content and process clarification. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation demonstrates the value of continual integration of patient and provider preferences through the development of tools endeavouring to assist with complex genomics-informed decision-making. Our work aims to broaden the population-wide impact of HCS testing programs by improving communication processes between probands and their potentially affected family members. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This work involved a patient partner who was actively engaged in all aspects of the research investigation including protocol development, review and editing of all study documentation (including that of the previously published qualitative investigation), interpretation of results, as well as reviewing and editing the manuscript. Patient partners and healthcare professionals were recruited as research participants to provide critical feedback on the patient portal.

Defining a Core Data Set for the Economic Evaluation of Precision Oncology.

OBJECTIVES: Precision oncology is generating vast amounts of multiomic data to improve human health and accelerate research. Existing clinical study designs and attendant data are unable to provide comparative evidence for economic evaluations. This lack of evidence can cause inconsistent and inappropriate reimbursement. Our study defines a core data set to facilitate economic evaluations of precision oncology. METHODS: We conducted a literature review of economic evaluations of next-generation sequencing technologies, a common application of precision oncology, published between 2005 and 2018 and indexed in PubMed (MEDLINE). Based on this review, we developed a preliminary core data set for informal expert feedback. We then used a modified-Delphi approach with individuals involved in implementation and evaluation of precision medicine, including 2 survey rounds followed by a final voting conference to refine the data set. RESULTS: Two authors determined that variation in published data elements was reached after abstraction of 20 economic evaluations. Expert consultation refined the data set to 83 unique data elements, and a multidisciplinary sample of 46 experts participated in the modified-Delphi process. A total of 68 elements (81%) were selected as required, spanning demographics and clinical characteristics, genomic data, cancer treatment, health and quality of life outcomes, and resource use. CONCLUSIONS: Cost-effectiveness analyses will fail to reflect the real-world impacts of precision oncology without data to accurately characterize patient care trajectories and outcomes. Data collection in accordance with the proposed core data set will promote standardization and enable the generation of decision-grade evidence to inform reimbursement.

Genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes: patient recommendations for improved risk communication.

BACKGROUND: Multi-gene panel testing is replacing single-gene testing for patients with suspected hereditary cancer syndromes. The detection of a hereditary cancer syndrome allows tested individuals to initiate enhanced primary and secondary prevention efforts-where available-with a view to reduce disease burden. Current policy prevents testing programmes from communicating genetic test results with potentially affected family members, yet it is well documented that tested individuals face multiple challenges in initiating such discussions with relatives. OBJECTIVE: In response to this challenge, we sought patient recommendations about how to improve genetic risk communication to enhance interfamilial discussions about primary and secondary disease prevention. DESIGN: We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with individuals who received genetic testing through British Columbia's Hereditary Cancer Program between 2017 and 2018. Interviews were professionally transcribed and analysed using a constant comparative approach. RESULTS: Participants described difficulty engaging in conversations with relatives who were resistant to receiving genetic risk information, when communicating with younger relatives and where participants reported strained familial relationships. Participants recommended that testing facilities provide a summary of results and implications and that resources be made available to prepare patients for challenging discussions with family members. DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates that individuals undergoing genetic testing for suspected hereditary cancer syndromes would benefit from additional supportive resources alongside genetic counselling. Providing this on-going support will enhance the accurate and transparent communication of risk to facilitate the uptake of cascade testing and enhanced prevention strategies.

Valuation of Health and Nonhealth Outcomes from Next-Generation Sequencing: Approaches, Challenges, and Solutions.

BACKGROUND: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have seen variable adoption in the clinic. This is partly due to a lack of clinical and economic studies, with the latter increasingly challenged to examine patient preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes (e.g., false-positive rate). OBJECTIVES: To conduct a structured review of studies valuing patients' preference-based utility for NGS outcomes, to highlight identified methodological challenges, and to consider how studies addressed identified challenges. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), and Web of Science for published studies examining outcomes from health care decisions informed by NGS. We focused our search on direct elicitations of preference-based utility. We reviewed included studies and qualitatively grouped and summarized stated challenges and solutions by theme. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included. Most of them (n = 6) used discrete choice experiments to value utility. We categorized challenges into four themes: 1) valuing the full range of NGS outcomes, 2) accounting for accuracy and uncertainty surrounding effectiveness, 3) allowing for simultaneous multiple and cascading risks, and 4) incorporating downstream consequences. Studies found strong evidence of utility for NGS information, regardless of health improvement. Investigators addressed challenges by simplifying complex choices, by including health outcomes alongside nonhealth outcomes, and by using multiple elicitation techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The breadth and complexity of NGS-derived information makes the technology a unique and challenging application for utility valuation. Failing to account for the utility or disutility of NGS-related nonhealth outcomes may lead to overinvestment or underinvestment in NGS, and so there is a need for research addressing unresolved challenges.

Patterns, predictors and persistence of chronic sedative use: a population-based observational study of older adults in British Columbia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like sedatives (zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon) are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia but are contraindicated for chronic use. We sought to study the persistence, over multiple years, of chronic use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like sedatives among community-dwelling adults in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of linked health data for adults aged 50 to 69 in 2004 who resided in British Columbia, Canada, between 2004 and 2013. We assigned subjects to one of four groups according to the total number of days of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like sedatives that they were dispensed from retail pharmacies in each observation year. We estimated logistic regression models to measure associations between the odds of chronic sedative use and explanatory variables. We computed transition probability matrices that depict likelihood of changes in sedative utilization levels across years. RESULTS: Nearly one in ten (9.4%) community-dwelling older adults in British Columbia filled prescriptions with more than 90 days' worth of benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine-like sedatives in 2013. The odds of such chronic sedative use were higher for people who were older, had lower income, were sicker, or lived in rural communities; odds were lower for people with Chinese or South Asian surnames and for men who were married. Controlling for other factors, chronic users of sedatives in 2008 were 15 times more likely than non-users of sedatives in 2008 to be chronic sedative users in 2013 (OR = 14.73; 95% CI = [14.24, 15.24]). Approximately two out of every five older British Columbians who were chronic sedative users in 2013 had been chronic users of sedatives 10 years prior. Two out of every three chronic sedative users in 2004 were either chronic users (57%) or dead (16%) by 2013. INTERPRETATION: Chronic use of sedatives is prevalent and persistent among older adults in British Columbia. The persistence of chronic sedative use between when patients were 50 to 59 years old and when they were 60 to 69 years old suggests that earlier interventions to curb chronic sedative use may be warranted even if patients do not experience significant risks until later ages.

Postmarket policy considerations for biosimilar oncology drugs.

Oncology biological products are some of the most expensive drugs on the market and are a growing financial burden on patients and health-care systems. By 2020, numerous major biological cancer drugs will lose their patent protection allowing follow-on competitors, known as biosimilars, to enter the market. Clinical and regulatory considerations for biosimilars have begun to harmonise in Europe and the USA to help to define and streamline the pathway for biosimilar market authorisation. Yet, substantial international variation still exists in the pricing and market uptake of approved biosimilar oncology drugs. Differences in national postmarket policies for biosimilars might explain these disparities in pricing and uptake. In this Policy Review, policy approaches to competition between biosimilars and originators used by seven European countries--Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK--and the USA are discussed, chosen because these countries represent a variety of postmarket policies and build on conclusions from previous work. We discuss these policies within the context of interchangeability, physician prescribing, substitutability, pharmacist dispensing, hospital financing and tendering, and pricing.

Sex differences in the risk of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions among older adults.

OBJECTIVES: to measure sex differences in the risk of receiving potentially inappropriate prescription drugs and to examine what are the factors that contribute to these differences. DESIGN: a retrospective cohort study. SETTING: community setting of British Columbia, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: residents of British Columbia aged 65 and older (n = 660,679). MEASUREMENTS: we measured 2013 period prevalence of prescription dispensations satisfying the American Geriatrics Society's 2012 version of the Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. We used logistic regressions to test for associations between this outcome and a number of clinical and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: a larger share of women (31%) than of men (26%) filled one or more potentially inappropriate prescription in the community. The odds of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions are associated with several clinical and socioeconomic factors. After controlling for those factors, community-dwelling women were at 16% higher odds of receiving a potentially inappropriate prescription than men (adjusted odds ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval = 1.12-1.21). Much of this sex difference stemmed from women's increased odds of receiving potentially inappropriate prescriptions for benzodiazepines and other hypnotics, for tertiary tricyclic antidepressants and for non-selective NSAIDs. CONCLUSION: there are significant sex differences in older adults' risk of receiving a potentially inappropriate prescription as a result of complex intersections between gender and other social constructs. Appropriate responses will therefore require changes in the information, norms and expectations of both prescribers and patients.

Geographic Variations in Prescription Opioid Dispensations and Deaths Among Women and Men in British Columbia, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: We quantify patterns in prescription opioid dispensations to individuals who suffered a prescription opioid-related death. In addition, we examine the relationship between opioid dispensations and prescription opioid-related deaths in geographic regions of British Columbia (BC). METHODS: We used population-based administrative data on prescription drug dispensations to identify patterns in prescription opioid dispensations to individuals who suffered a prescription opioid-related death. We also computed the quantity of prescription opioids dispensed (morphine equivalents) in small geographic regions in BC from 2004 to 2013. We identified prescription opioid-related deaths in these small geographic areas using mortality data from BC Vital Statistics and investigated the relationship between rates of prescription opioid dispensing and rates of prescription opioid death in small geographic areas in BC by sex. We examined differences in our results when limiting opioid dispensations to strong opioids and weak opioids. RESULTS: Many individuals who suffered a prescription opioid-related death did not have an active opioid prescription in the 60 days before death (46% of women and 71% of men). Rates of prescription opioid dispensing and opioid-related deaths vary substantially across geographic regions in BC. The area-level relationship between rate of prescription opioid dispensing and rate of unintentional prescription opioid-related death is positive and statistically significant for both men and women (P<0.001). This relationship holds when opioid prescribing is limited to strong opioids. CONCLUSION: Targeted efforts to reduce high levels of opioid prescribing in BC, particularly dispensations of strong opioids and codeine, may substantially reduce opioid-related harms.

Addressing immortal time bias in precision medicine: Practical guidance and methods development.

OBJECTIVE: To compare theoretical strengths and limitations of common immortal time adjustment methods, propose a new approach using multiple imputation (MI), and provide practical guidance for using MI in precision medicine evaluations centered on a real-world case study. STUDY SETTING AND DESIGN: Methods comparison, guidance, and real-world case study based on previous literature. We compared landmark analysis, time-distribution matching, time-dependent analysis, and our proposed MI application. Guidance for MI spanned (1) selecting the imputation method; (2) specifying and applying the imputation model; and (3) conducting comparative analysis and pooling estimates. Our case study used a matched cohort design to evaluate overall survival benefits of whole-genome and transcriptome analysis, a precision medicine technology, compared to usual care for advanced cancers, and applied both time-distribution matching and MI. Bootstrap simulation characterized imputation sensitivity to varying data missingness and sample sizes. DATA SOURCES AND ANALYTIC SAMPLE: Case study used population-based administrative data and single-arm precision medicine program data from British Columbia, Canada for the study period 2012 to 2015. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: While each method described can reduce immortal time bias, MI offers theoretical advantages. Compared to alternative approaches, MI minimizes information loss and better characterizes statistical uncertainty about the true length of the immortal time period, avoiding false precision. Additionally, MI explicitly considers the impacts of patient characteristics on immortal time distributions, with inclusion criteria and follow-up period definitions that do not inadvertently risk biasing evaluations. In the real-world case study, survival analysis results did not substantively differ across MI and time distribution matching, but standard errors based on MI were higher for all point estimates. Mean imputed immortal time was stable across simulations. CONCLUSIONS: Precision medicine evaluations must employ immortal time adjustment methods for unbiased, decision-grade real-world evidence generation. MI is a promising solution to the challenge of immortal time bias.

Next-generation sequencing in oncology: challenges in economic evaluations.

INTRODUCTION: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) identifies genetic variants to inform personalized treatment plans. Insufficient evidence of cost-effectiveness impedes the integration of NGS into routine cancer care. The complexity of personalized treatment challenges conventional economic evaluation. Clearly delineating challenges informs future cost-effectiveness analyses to better value and contextualize health, preference-, and equity-based outcomes. AREAS COVERED: We conducted a scoping review to characterize the applied methods and outcomes of economic evaluations of NGS in oncology and identify existing challenges. We included 27 articles published since 2016 from a search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Identified challenges included defining the evaluative scope, managing evidentiary limitations including lack of causal evidence, incorporating preference-based utility, and assessing distributional and equity-based impacts. These challenges reflect the difficulty of generating high-quality clinical effectiveness and real-world evidence (RWE) for NGS-guided interventions. EXPERT OPINION: Adapting methodological approaches and developing life-cycle health technology assessment (HTA) guidance using RWE is crucial for implementing NGS in oncology. Healthcare systems, decision-makers, and HTA organizations are facing a pivotal opportunity to adapt to an evolving clinical paradigm and create innovative regulatory and reimbursement processes that will enable more sustainable, equitable, and patient-oriented healthcare.

Real-world cost-effectiveness of panel-based genomic testing to inform therapeutic decisions for metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in KRAS and NRAS are associated with a lack of response to cetuximab and panitumumab, two biologics used for third-line therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In British Columbia, Canada, eligibility for cetuximab or panitumumab was first based on single-gene KRAS testing. OncoPanel, a multi-gene next-generation sequencing panel with both KRAS and NRAS, was introduced in 2016. Our objective was to estimate the real-world cost-effectiveness of OncoPanel versus to single-gene KRAS testing to inform eligibility for cetuximab or panitumumab in mCRC. METHODS: Using population-based administrative health data, we identified a cohort of mCRC patients who had received a KRAS or OncoPanel test, and completed prior chemotherapy in 2010-2019. We matched KRAS- and OncoPanel-tested patients (1:1) using genetic matching to balance baseline covariates. Mean and incremental 3-year costs, survival, and quality-adjusted survival were estimated using inverse-probability-of-censoring weighting and bootstrapping. We conducted scenario-based sensitivity analysis for key costs and assumptions. FINDINGS: All OncoPanel-tested cases (n=371) were matched to a KRAS-tested comparator. In the KRAS and OncoPanel groups, respectively, 55·8 % and 41·2 % of patients were potentially eligible for cetuximab or panitumumab based on mutation status. Incremental cost and effectiveness of OncoPanel were $72 (95 % CI: -6387, 6107), -0·004 life-years (95 % CI: -0·119, 0·113), and -0·011 quality-adjusted life-years (95 % CI: -0·094, 0·075). Reductions in systemic therapy costs were offset by increased costs in other resources. Results were moderately sensitive to time horizon and changes in testing or treatment cost. INTERPRETATION: The use of OncoPanel resulted in more precise targeting of cetuximab and panitumumab, but there was no change in incremental cost or quality-adjusted survival. Understanding the balance of costs achieved in practice can provide insight into the effect of future changes in testing policy, test cost, treatment eligibility, or drug prices in this setting.

Health Care Costs After Genome-Wide Sequencing for Children With Rare Diseases in England and Canada.

Importance: Etiologic diagnoses for rare diseases can involve a diagnostic odyssey, with repeated health care interactions and inconclusive diagnostics. Prior studies reported cost savings associated with genome-wide sequencing (GWS) compared with cytogenetic or molecular testing through rapid genetic diagnosis, but there is limited evidence on whether diagnosis from GWS is associated with reduced health care costs. Objective: To measure changes in health care costs after diagnosis from GWS for Canadian and English children with suspected rare diseases. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study was a quasiexperimental retrospective analysis across 3 distinct English and Canadian cohorts, completed in 2023. Mixed-effects generalized linear regression was used to estimate associations between GWS and costs in the 2 years before and after GWS. Difference-in-differences regression was used to estimate associations of genetic diagnosis and costs. Costs are in 2019 US dollars. GWS was conducted in a research setting (Genomics England 100 000 Genomes Project [100KGP] and Clinical Assessment of the Utility of Sequencing and Evaluation as a Service [CAUSES] Research Clinic) or clinical outpatient setting (publicly reimbursed GWS in British Columbia [BC], Canada). Participants were children with developmental disorders, seizure disorders, or both undergoing GWS between 2014 and 2019. Data were analyzed from April 2021 to September 2023. Exposures: GWS and genetic diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual health care costs and diagnostic costs per child. Results: Study cohorts included 7775 patients in 100KGP, among whom 788 children had epilepsy (mean [SD] age at GWS, 11.6 [11.1] years; 400 female [50.8%]) and 6987 children had an intellectual disability (mean [SD] age at GWS, 8.2 [8.4] years; 2750 female [39.4%]); 77 patients in CAUSES (mean [SD] age at GWS, 8.5 [4.4] years; 33 female [42.9%]); and 118 publicly reimbursed GWS recipients from BC (mean [SD] age at GWS, 5.5 [5.2] years; 58 female [49.2%]). GWS diagnostic yield was 143 children (18.1%) for those with epilepsy and 1323 children (18.9%) for those with an intellectual disability in 100KGP, 47 children (39.8%) in the BC publicly reimbursed setting, and 42 children (54.5%) in CAUSES. Mean annual per-patient spending over the study period was $5283 (95% CI, $5121-$5427) for epilepsy and $3373 (95% CI, $3322-$3424) for intellectual disability in the 100KGP, $724 (95% CI, $563-$886) in CAUSES, and $1573 (95% CI, $1372-$1773) in the BC reimbursed setting. Receiving a genetic diagnosis from GWS was not associated with changed costs in any cohort. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, receiving a genetic diagnosis was not associated with cost savings. This finding suggests that patient benefit and cost-effectiveness should instead drive GWS implementation.

"I Just Assumed This Was Already Being Done": Canadian Patient Preferences for Enhanced Data Sharing for Precision Oncology.

PURPOSE: In Canada, health data are siloed, slowing bioinnovation and evidence generation for personalized cancer care. Secured data-sharing platforms (SDSPs) can enable data analysis across silos through rapid concatenation across trial and real-world settings and timely researcher access. To motivate patient participation and trust in research, it is critical to ensure that SDSP design and oversight align with patients' values and address their concerns. We sought to qualitatively characterize patient preferences for the design of a pan-Canadian SDSP. METHODS: Between January 2022 and July 2023, we conducted pan-Canadian virtual focus groups with individuals who had a personal history of cancer. Following each focus group, participants were invited to provide feedback on early-phase analysis results via a member-checking survey. Three trained qualitative researchers analyzed data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight individuals participated across five focus groups. Four focus groups were conducted in English and one in French. Thematic analysis generated two major and five minor themes. Analytic themes spanned personal and population implications of data sharing and willingness to manage perceived risks. Participants were supportive of increasing access to health data for precision oncology research, while voicing concerns about unintended data use, reidentification, and inequitable access to costly therapeutics. To mitigate perceived risks, participants highlighted the value of data access oversight and governance and informational transparency. CONCLUSION: Strategies for secured data sharing should anticipate and mitigate the risks that patients perceive. Participants supported enhancing timely research capability while ensuring safeguards to protect patient autonomy and privacy. Our study informs the development of data-governance and data-sharing frameworks that integrate real-world and trial data, informed by evidence from direct patient input.

Paving the path for implementation of clinical genomic sequencing globally: Are we ready?

Despite the emerging evidence in recent years, successful implementation of clinical genomic sequencing (CGS) remains limited and is challenged by a range of barriers. These include a lack of standardized practices, limited economic assessments for specific indications, limited meaningful patient engagement in health policy decision-making, and the associated costs and resource demand for implementation. Although CGS is gradually becoming more available and accessible worldwide, large variations and disparities remain, and reflections on the lessons learned for successful implementation are sparse. In this commentary, members of the Global Economics and Evaluation of Clinical Genomics Sequencing Working Group (GEECS) describe the global landscape of CGS in the context of health economics and policy and propose evidence-based solutions to address existing and future barriers to CGS implementation. The topics discussed are reflected as two overarching themes: (1) system readiness for CGS and (2) evidence, assessments, and approval processes. These themes highlight the need for health economics, public health, and infrastructure and operational considerations; a robust patient- and family-centered evidence base on CGS outcomes; and a comprehensive, collaborative, interdisciplinary approach.

Impact on costs and outcomes of multi-gene panel testing for advanced solid malignancies: a cost-consequence analysis using linked administrative data.

Background: To date, economic analyses of tissue-based next generation sequencing genomic profiling (NGS) for advanced solid tumors have typically required models with assumptions, with little real-world evidence on overall survival (OS), clinical trial enrollment or end-of-life quality of care. Methods: Cost consequence analysis of NGS testing (555 or 161-gene panels) for advanced solid tumors through the OCTANE clinical trial (NCT02906943). This is a longitudinal, propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada using linked administrative data. Patients enrolled in OCTANE at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from August 2016 until March 2019 were matched with contemporary patients without large gene panel testing from across Ontario not enrolled in OCTANE. Patients were matched according to 19 patient, disease and treatment variables. Full 2-year follow-up data was available. Sensitivity analyses considered alternative matched cohorts. Main Outcomes were mean per capita costs (2019 Canadian dollars) from a public payer's perspective, OS, clinical trial enrollment and end-of-life quality metrics. Findings: There were 782 OCTANE patients with 782 matched controls. Variables were balanced after matching (standardized difference <0.10). There were higher mean health-care costs with OCTANE ($79,702 vs. $59,550), mainly due to outpatient and specialist visits. Publicly funded drug costs were less with OCTANE ($20,015 vs. $24,465). OCTANE enrollment was not associated with improved OS (restricted mean survival time [standard error]: 1.50 (±0.03) vs. 1.44 (±0.03) years, log-rank p = 0.153), varying by tumor type. In five tumor types with ≥35 OCTANE patients, OS was similar in three (breast, colon, uterus, all p > 0.40), and greater in two (ovary, biliary, both p < 0.05). OCTANE was associated with greater clinical trial enrollment (25.4% vs. 9.5%, p < 0.001) and better end-of-life quality due to less death in hospital (10.2% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.003). Results were robust in sensitivity analysis. Interpretation: We found an increase in healthcare costs associated with multi-gene panel testing for advanced cancer treatment. The impact on OS was not significant, but varied across tumor types. OCTANE was associated with greater trial enrollment, lower publicly funded drug costs and fewer in-hospital deaths suggesting important considerations in determining the value of NGS panel testing for advanced cancers. Funding: T.P H holds a research grant provided by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research through funding provided by the Government of Ontario (#IA-035 and P.HSR.158) and through funding of the Canadian Network for Learning Healthcare Systems and Cost-Effective 'Omics Innovation (CLEO) via Genome Canada (G05CHS).

Allocating healthcare resources to genomic testing in Canada: latest evidence and current challenges.

Precision medicine (PM) informed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) poses challenges for health technology assessment (HTA). To date, there has been limited reimbursement of genomic testing with NGS in Canada, particularly for whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing (WGS/WES). Through a structured literature review, we examine Canadian economic evidence and evidentiary challenges for the adoption of genomic testing. We searched Medline (PubMed) for published Canadian studies generating economic evidence for PM informed by NGS. Our search focused on studies examining the costs and/or value of NGS. We reviewed included studies and summarized results according to evaluation type, clinical context, NGS technology, and test strategy. We then grouped HTA challenges encountered by authors when evaluating NGS. Our review included twenty-five studies. To determine the economic impacts of NGS-informed PM in Canada, studies applied cost-effectiveness analysis (52%, n = 13), stated preference analysis (20%, n = 5), cost-consequence analysis (16%, n = 4), and healthcare resource utilization or costing analysis (12%, n = 3). NGS panels were the most common technology evaluated (n = 13), followed by WGS and/or WES (n = 8). The included studies highlighted multiple challenges when generating economic evidence, many of which remain unaddressed. Challenges were broadly related to (1) accounting for all NGS outcomes; (2) addressing uncertainty; and (3) improving consistency of economic approaches. Canadian studies are beginning to produce estimates of the economic impacts of NGS-informed PM, yet challenges for HTA remain. While solutions and real-world evidence are generated, lifecycle health technology management methods can be designed to better support resource allocation decisions for genomic testing in Canada.

A perspective on life-cycle health technology assessment and real-world evidence for precision oncology in Canada.

Health technology assessment (HTA) can be used to make healthcare systems more equitable and efficient. Advances in precision oncology are challenging conventional thinking about HTA. Precision oncology advances are rapid, involve small patient groups, and are frequently evaluated without a randomized comparison group. In light of these challenges, mechanisms to manage precision oncology uncertainties are critical. We propose a life-cycle HTA framework and outline supporting criteria to manage uncertainties based on real world data collected from learning healthcare systems. If appropriately designed, we argue that life-cycle HTA is the driver of real world evidence generation and furthers our understanding of comparative effectiveness and value. We conclude that life-cycle HTA deliberation processes must be embedded into healthcare systems for an agile response to the constantly changing landscape of precision oncology innovation. We encourage further research outlining the core requirements, infrastructure, and checklists needed to achieve the goal of learning healthcare supporting life-cycle HTA.