Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) inhibitors are promising agents for Ph-positive acute leukemia (Ph(+) AL) and FLT3 mutated acute myeloid leukemia (FLT3-AML), respectively. METHODS: We examined the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) of dasatinib and ponatinib for Ph(+) AL and the cost-effectiveness of gilteritinib and quizartinib for FLT3-AML in elderly patients. Molecular therapy can fit the elderly population better than chemotherapy (CT). RESULTS: The daily drug cost of dasatinib, ponatinib, gilteritinib, and quizartinib was $240, $170, $524, and $479 in terms of treatment maintenance dose, respectively. Treatment of Ph(+) AL with stem cell transplantation (SCT), CT, dasatinib, and ponatinib yielded CERs of $322,375, $34,928, $61,104, and $46,234, respectively. The CERs for FLT3-AML treated with SCT, CT, gilteritinib, and quizartinib were $355,270, $42,717, $94,987, and $90,080, respectively. Treatment of elderly patients with TKIs and FLT3 inhibitors remained expensive and inferior to conventional CT. CONCLUSION: Although TKIs and FLT3 inhibitors have an inferior CER than does conventional CT, their promising survival benefit with better QOL can offer a profound advantage. TKI or FLT3 inhibitor monotherapy is recommended as an alternative treatment option for unfit (vulnerable) elderly patients with Ph(+) AL or FLT3-AML.