[Impact on budget of new drugs for colorectal cancer treatment]. / Impacto presupuestario de los nuevos fármacos para el tratamiento del cáncer colorrectal.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact on the medicines budget of the introduction of new treatments in colorectal cancer, as monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and bevacizumab and oxaliplatin in the adjuvant setting, for the Catalan health public system in 2006. METHOD: In advanced stages of the disease, the medicines budget impact of the introduction of cetuximab and bevacizumab in relation to the standard treatment (FOLFIRI and FOLFOX regimes) was evaluated. In adjuvant treatment stage II-III, the medicines budget impact of the utilization of FOLFOX regime compared to the combination of fluorouracil and folinic acid was evaluated. RESULTS: The medicines budget impact of the new therapies is evaluated at 27.9 million euros and 18.3 million euros in advanced stages of the disease and the adjuvant setting, respectively. In the adjuvant setting, the impact assessed depends on the number of new cases estimated. CONCLUSIONS: The impact on the health budget in Catalonia will be of great magnitude, and it could be higher considering these drugs are just only an example. Health policy should take this impact into account when future costs of health care are assessed in the public sector.

Impacto presupuestario de los nuevos fármacos para el tratamiento del cáncer colorrectal / Impact on budget of new drugs for colorectal cancer treatment

Fundamento y objetivo: Evaluar el impacto presupuestario de los nuevos fármacos para el tratamiento del cáncer colorrectal, como son los anticuerpos monoclonales cetuximab y bevacizumab y el oxaliplatino en adyuvancia, para el sistema público catalán en el año 2006. Método: En estadios avanzados se evaluó el impacto en el presupuesto para fármacos de la incorporación de cetuximab y bevacizumab con respecto al tratamiento considerado estándar (FOLFIRI ­irinotecán, fluorouracilo y ácido folínico­ y FOLFOX ­oxaliplatino, fluorouracilo y ácido folínico­). En el tratamiento adyuvante por estadios II-III se evaluó el impacto presupuestario de la utilización del esquema FOLFOX con respecto a la combinación de fluorouracilo con ácido folínico. Resultados: En estadios avanzados la introducción de los nuevos tratamientos supone un coste incremental de 27,9 millones de euros. En adyuvancia, la introducción del FOLFOX supone un coste incremental de 18,3 millones de euros, que dependerá notablemente del número de pacientes diagnosticados. Conclusiones: El impacto sobre el presupuesto sanitario público en Cataluña será de gran magnitud, más aún si se tiene en cuenta que los fármacos considerados son sólo un ejemplo

Background and objective: To assess the impact on the medicines budget of the introduction of new treatments in colorectal cancer, as monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and bevacizumab and oxaliplatin in the adjuvant setting, for the Catalan health public system in 2006. Method: In advanced stages of the disease, the medicines budget impact of the introduction of cetuximab and bevacizumab in relation to the standard treatment (FOLFIRI and FOLFOX regimes) was evaluated. In adjuvant treatment stage II-III, the medicines budget impact of the utilization of FOLFOX regime compared to the combination of fluorouracil and folinic acid was evaluated. Results: The medicines budget impact of the new therapies is evaluated at 27.9 million euros and 18.3 million euros in advanced stages of the disease and the adjuvant setting, respectively. In the adjuvant setting, the impact assessed depends on the number of new cases estimated. Conclusions: The impact on the health budget in Catalonia will be of great magnitude, and it could be higher considering these drugs are just only an example. Health policy should take this impact into account when future costs of health care are assessed in the public sector