A retrospective study of New England patients receiving trastuzumab or bevacizumab found that combining dose rounding and biosimilar use resulted in greater cost savings than either strategy alone.
A retrospective study of 1156 patients in New England receiving trastuzumab or bevacizumab found that combining dose rounding and biosimilar use resulted in greater cost savings than either strategy alone as rising costs have spurred cost-saving initiatives.
The authors of the study said that costs associated with cancer care have been growing rapidly and are estimated to keep increasing. The rise in costs has led many centers to utilize dose rounding—rounding to the nearest vial size when the difference is 10% or less—as a cost-saving and drug waste reduction strategy. However, according to the authors, no previous studies have estimated the cost savings associated with dose rounding and biosimilar utilization combined.
The retrospective study of electronic health records included patients from 2 large health systems in New England who received trastuzumab or bevacizumab, monoclonal antibodies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, between 2015 and 2020. The specific molecules were chosen because biosimilars referencing both were available on the formularies of both health systems. A total of 1156 patients and 15,145 doses of trastuzumab or bevacizumab were included, and the most common indications for treatment were breast and gynecological malignancies. The investigators estimated costs based on Medicare drug pricing and compared cost per dose in 4 groups: dose rounding/biosimilar use; dose rounding only, biosimilar use only, and neither.
Most (75%) of the patients received reference products that were not dose rounded, 12% received dose rounded reference products, 8% received biosimilars that were not dose rounded, and 5% received dose rounded biosimilars. There were some differences in baseline characteristics between groups, such as a higher percentage of patients with metastatic disease and a larger average dosing weight in the dose-rounding/biosimilar group compared to other groups.
Compared to neither dose rounding nor biosimilar use, dose rounding/biosimilar use was estimated to save $331 per dose for trastuzumab (95% CI, 356 to –30) and $497 per dose for bevacizumab, (95% CLs, –512.73 to −481.06). Dose rounding only was not estimated to reduce costs compared to neither dose rounding nor biosimilar use. Biosimilar use only was estimated to reduce costs by $261 and $366 per dose of trastuzumab and bevacizumab compared to a reference product that was not dose rounded.
The authors concluded that dose-rounding and biosimilar use combined resulted in greater cost savings than either strategy alone, saying that combining the 2 strategies “should be considered for global adaptation as standard to circumvent rising costs” without compromising care.
Reference
Abdelmeseh V, Brown BR, Huynh JP, Zullo AR. Comparative cost savings of biosimilar and dose rounding utilization in oncology care. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2023;29(6):1437-1442. doi:10.1177/10781552221134257
AMCP Posters Tackle Interchangeability and Medicaid, Factors Driving Biosimilar Access
April 24th 2024Two posters from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting explore how an interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar plays into Medicaid budgets and the top factors driving access to biosimilars.
A New Chapter: How 2023 Will Shape the US Biosimilar Space for 2024 and Beyond
December 31st 2023On this episode of Not So Different, Cencora's Brian Biehn and Corey Ford take a look back at major policy and regulatory advancements in 2023 and how these changes will alter the space going forward.
What Clinicians Need to Know About Using Biosimilars to Treat IBD
April 13th 2024A review article, intended to act as a guide for clinicians, summarizes the available infliximab and adalimumab biosimilars for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as others that are coming down the pipeline.
Study: More Biosimilar Competition Is Not Lowering Patient OOP Costs
March 29th 2024Despite more biosimilars entering the market and generating significant savings for payers and health care systems, these savings are not resulting in lower out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for patients, according to a recent study.