Abstract
Purpose: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine malignancy characterized by poor prognosis. The ADRIATIC trial demonstrated significant survival benefits with durvalumab as maintenance therapy for limited-stage SCLC (LS-SCLC). However, the high cost of durvalumab necessitates an evaluation of its cost-effectiveness.
Methods: A partitioned survival model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of durvalumab consolidation therapy compared with the standard of care (SOC). The model comprised three mutually exclusive health states: progression-free survival (PFS), progression of disease (POD)/metastasis, and death. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, with a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $150,000 in US dollars (USD)/QALY. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Analysis for POD was also stratified into intrathoracic, extrathoracic, and CNS.
Results: Durvalumab improved overall survival (OS) to 66.1 months and PFS to 40.2 months, compared with 57.8 and 31.8 months for SOC, respectively. The total cost of durvalumab was $163,722 USD versus $25,816 USD for placebo, resulting in an incremental cost of $137,905 USD. Durvalumab provided an incremental QALY gain of 0.36 years, yielding an ICER of $383,069 USD/QALY, exceeding WTP. On stratification, durvalumab in patients with extrathoracic progression nearly met WTP (ICER, $151,137 USD).
Conclusion: Durvalumab remains cost-prohibitive for the overall cohort, exceeding acceptable thresholds despite favorable outcomes. Subgroup analysis, however, indicates that selective use in patients with extrathoracic progression may enhance cost-effectiveness. Overcoming economic barriers will be essential for the sustainable integration of immunotherapy into routine care.
Publication Date
12-2025
Content Type
article
PubMed ID:
Citation
Jani, C. T., Manoharan, A., Han, S., Zheng, X., Malik, S., Morgenstern-Kaplan, D., Salazar, A. S., Kareff, S., & Lopes, G. (2025). Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Durvalumab in Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States. JCO global oncology, 11, e2500225. https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-25-00225