[Impact on budget of new drugs for colorectal cancer treatment].
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.


METHODS
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.
Institut Català d'Oncologia-Hospital Duran i Reynals, Avenida Gran Via km. 2.7, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain.
M Julieta
MJ
Corral
Ana
A
Clopès
Matilde
M
Navarro
Josep Ramon
JR
Germà
Josep Maria
JM
Borràs
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002017:Budgets; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents