Abstract
BACKGROUND: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines list combination immunotherapy as the preferred first-line (1L) treatment for unresectable or metastatic melanoma over BRAF and MEK inhibitor (BRAFi/MEKi) therapy, regardless of BRAF mutation status. However, the economic impact of 1L treatment with nivolumab plus relatlimab (NIVO + RELA) vs BRAFi/MEKi therapies for BRAF-mutated advanced melanoma has not been assessed. OBJECTIVE: To compare the health care costs, cost per progression-free life-year (PFLY), and cost per life-year (LY) of NIVO + RELA vs dabrafenib plus trametinib (DAB + TRAM), encorafenib plus binimetinib (ENCO + BINI), and vemurafenib plus cobimetinib (VEM + COBI) as 1L treatment for BRAF-mutated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma. METHODS: A cost-per-outcome model compared the economic value of NIVO + RELA vs each BRAFi/MEKi therapy. Clinical inputs were derived from previous matching-adjusted indirect comparisons using individual patient data from the BRAF-mutant subgroup of RELATIVITY-047 and published data pooled from COMBI-d, COMBI-v, COLUMBUS, and coBRIM. LYs, PFLYs per investigator, and treatment duration were estimated using the restricted mean survival time. Health care costs (2024 US dollars), including drug acquisition and administration costs, disease management costs over the preprogression and postprogression periods, and adverse event management costs, were calculated over 5 years. Several scenario analyses were performed, including adding subsequent treatment costs. RESULTS: Over 5 years, NIVO + RELA was associated with improved PFLYs and LYs compared with DAB + TRAM (mean PFLY: 1.94 vs 1.82 years, mean LY: 3.41 vs 2.77 years), ENCO + BINI (1.87 vs 1.78 years and 3.40 vs 2.91 years, respectively), and VEM + COBI (2.12 vs 1.80 years and 3.39 vs 2.63 years). The estimated total costs over 5 years were lower for NIVO + RELA vs DAB + TRAM ($300,479 vs $519,770), ENCO + BINI ($343,996 vs $572,556), and VEM + COBI ($296,361 vs $317,851). Main cost drivers were drug acquisition and administration costs. NIVO + RELA had lower costs per PFLY and per LY than DAB + TRAM ($155,107 vs $285,617 and $88,203 vs $187,699, respectively); ENCO + BINI ($183,628 vs $322,113 and $101,151 vs $196,924); and VEM + COBI ($139,688 vs $176,645 and $87,315 vs $121,086). The sensitivity analyses' results supported the base-case results. CONCLUSIONS: NIVO + RELA showed improved LYs and PFLYs at lower cost than all 3 BRAFi/MEKi comparators over 5 years. These results support the economic value of NIVO + RELA for patients with previously untreated, BRAF-mutated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma.