The cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in England and Wales.
BACKGROUND
Bevacizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody, which has demonstrated significant activity in metastatic colorectal cancer. The aim of this study is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy for patients with untreated metastatic colorectal cancer.


METHODS
A decision-analytic model was developed to estimate the lifetime costs and benefits of adding bevacizumab to irinotecan plus FU/LV (IFL) or 5-FU/LV alone. Effectiveness outcomes, health utilities and resource use data were derived from recent bevacizumab RCTs and from the literature.


RESULTS
Adding bevacizumab to IFL costs approximately pound62,857 per QALY gained. Adding bevacizumab to 5-FU/LV costs approximately pound88,436 per QALY gained. The acquisition cost of bevacizumab is a key determinant of its cost-effectiveness. The probability that bevacizumab has a cost-effectiveness ratio that is better than pound30,000 per QALY gained is close to zero.


CONCLUSIONS
Given high acquisition costs in relation to clinical benefits, bevacizumab is unlikely to represent a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
Tappenden
P
P
School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK. P.Tappenden@Sheffield.ac.uk
Jones
R
R
Paisley
S
S
Carroll
C
C
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin