cancer drugs
clinical benefit
cost
ASCO-VF
ESMO-MCBS
Value assessment of NMPA-approved new cancer drugs for solid cancer in China, 2016-2020
Summary
- This study is the first in China to comprehensively evaluate the value of new cancer drugs using ASCO-VF and ESMO-MCBS frameworks and investigate the correlation between drug prices and clinical benefits.
- Approximately half of the new cancer drugs approved by NMPA between 2016 and 2020 achieved meaningful clinical benefits according to ESMO-MCBS.
- All new drugs had a wide range of ASCO-VF scores, showing only a fair association between ASCO-VF and ESMO-MCBS, consistent with previous studies.
- About three-quarters of new drugs were listed in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Contrary to the trend in the US, the daily treatment cost of cancer agents has fallen in China.
- There was no significant correlation found between drug prices and clinical benefits according to the two frameworks.
- Since 2015, China has implemented a national price negotiation mechanism leading to reduced drug prices and increased affordability of expensive cancer drugs.
- Post-approval clinical trials may cause dynamic changes in value framework scores, and the qualifications for medical insurance payment are strict.
- Limitations of the study include reliance on data from clinical trials, differences in ASCO-VF and ESMO-MCBS framework designs, and the exclusion of the duration of treatment in cost calculations.
- The study suggests that policy makers need to align drug prices better with clinical benefits to optimize cancer treatments for patients.
Innovations in cancer therapy, particularly the influx of new drugs have yielded high expectations of transform treatment of the disease from all healthcare stakeholders. Nevertheless, dramatic rise in drug costs has recently highlighted a vigorous debate over whether cancer drugs prices, especially for that of targeted drugs and immunotherapies, commensurate with their value to patients, within reach of who need them not only in developed country, but also in developing country like China with scarce resources and rising demand for health services...
Click for Source
cancer drugs, clinical benefit, cost, ASCO-VF, ESMO-MCBS
