Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Penpulimab is a PD-1 monoclonal antibody recommended for treating squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC) in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of penpulimab combined with paclitaxel and carboplatin against paclitaxel plus carboplatin as first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC in China. METHODS: A three-state partitioned survival model was constructed using the efficacy outcomes obtained by digitizing the AK105-302 trial and was extrapolated to the lifetime horizon. Data on direct medical costs and utilities was gathered from the literature and commercial databases from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Outcomes included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), life years (LYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis were performed to test the model robustness. RESULTS: The incremental efficacy of penpulimab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin was 0.821 QALYs and 1.176 LYs with an incremental cost of $20,335 compared with paclitaxel plus carboplatin combination therapy. The ICER was $24,778 per QALY, falling below the threshold of three times the per capita gross domestic product of China, a commonly applied benchmark. The results of the one-way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the ICER values were primarily influenced by the utility of progression-free state and cost of penpulimab. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that penpulimab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin was cost-effective for 98.3% of the cases. Scenario analysis yielded results similar to those of the base-case analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that penpulimab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin combination therapy is cost-effective for patients with locally advanced or metastatic sqNSCLC in China.