Olaparib not cost-effective as maintenance therapy for platinum-sensitive, BRCA1/2 germline-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer

by Tarun Mehra, Judith E. Lupatsch, Thibaud Kössler, Konstantin Dedes, Alexander Reinhard Siebenhüner, Roger von Moos, Andreas Wicki, Matthias E. Schwenkglenks

To assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of olaparib as a maintenance therapy in platinum-responsive, metastatic pancreatic cancer patients harboring a germline BRCA1/2 mutation, using the Swiss context as a model.

Based on data from the POLO trial, published literature and local cost data, we developed a partitioned survival model of olaparib maintenance including full costs for BRCA1/2 germline testing compared to FOLFIRI maintenance chemotherapy and watch-and-wait. We calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the base case and several scenario analyses and estimated 5-year budget impact.

Comparing olaparib with watch-and wait and maintenance chemotherapy resulted in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of CHF 2,711,716 and CHF 2,217,083 per QALY gained, respectively. The 5-year costs for the olaparib strategy in Switzerland would be CHF 22.4 million, of which CHF 11.4 million would be accounted for by germline BRCA1/2 screening of the potentially eligible population. This would amount to a budget impact of CHF 15.4 million (USD 16.9 million) versus watch-and-wait.

Olaparib is not a cost-effective maintenance treatment option. Companion diagnostics are an equally important cost driver as the drug itself.