Costs of bevacizumab and pemetrexed for advanced non-squamous NSCLC in Italy and Germany

The new targeted agent bevacizumab in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, and a third-generation chemotherapy pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin, have been approved as first-line treatment for patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An indirect comparison between bevacizumab plus cisplatin and gemcitabine and pemetrexed plus cisplatin showed that bevacizumab (plus cisplatin and gemcitabine) achieved a favourable hazard ratio in terms of progression-free survival among patients with advanced NSCLC. This analysis aimed to compare the monthly cost of these treatments for advanced non-squamous NSCLC in Italy and Germany.The comparison used country specific cost data and adopted the payer perspective in Italy and Germany.The monthly cost of bevacizumab, including administration cost, as a single agent was €1,509 and €2,564 less than pemetrexed in Italy and Germany, respectively. The monthly treatment cost of bevacizumab plus cisplatin and gemcitabine was €1,001 and €446 less than pemetrexed plus gemcitabine in Italy and Germany, respectively.Results indicate that clinical benefits with bevacizumab plus cisplatin and gemcitabine therapy are achieved at a lower monthly cost than pemetrexed plus gemcitabine doublet therapy. Therefore, from a budget perspective, bevacizumab should be considered as a preferred targeted treatment of choice for advanced non-squamous NSCLC.