Cost-effectiveness of encorafenib plus cetuximab in BRAF V600E-mutated colorectal cancer

Abstract

Recently, the introduction of encorafenib in combination with cetuximab was considered as a practice changing in BRAFV600-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. The aim of this paper was to assess the cost-effectiveness of encorafenib plus cetuximab in the second-line treatment of BRAFV600-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. BEACON CRC Trail was considered. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated as the ratio between the difference of the costs in the intervention and in the control groups (pharmacy costs) and the difference between the effect in the intervention and in the control groups (overall survival). Four hundred forty-one patients were included. Differences in costs between the two arms (encorafenib plus cetuximab vs FOLFIRI plus cetuximab) was 59 501 €, with a cost of 17 500 € per month of overall survival-gain. Combining pharmacological costs of drugs with the measure of efficacy represented by overall survival, at the actual prize encorafenib cannot be considered cost-effectiveness for second-line treatment of BRAFV600-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer.

Keywords: BRAFV600-mutation; cost of drugs; encorafenib; metastatic colorectal cancer; second-line treatment.