GE Healthcare today announced results of three health economic models to
estimate the potential cost offsets to the healthcare system of
biomarker testing in patients with early breast cancer, metastatic
breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma to guide therapy selection. These
studies were presented at the International Society for
Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 15th European
Congress in Berlin, Germany.
In two of the studies, the data showed that use of angiogenesis-specific
biomarker imaging tests could lead to reduced costs by early
determination of response to therapy and early identification of rapid
disease progression. Specifically:
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In a model of 100 UK patients with metastatic breast cancer, one study
focused identifying sub-groups in whom such anti-angiogenesis
therapies may be of value. The cost consequences of introducing an
angiogenesis-specific biomarker imaging test (A-IT) to guide the
continuation or removal of anti-angiogenesis (AA) drugs based on a
positive or negative determination of early response was evaluated.
Per-patient cost savings of £4,561 were realized when A-IT was used to
identify treatment response.1 The majority of the savings
came from reduced therapy acquisition costs for those patients who
ultimately did not receive any benefit from this specific therapy.
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A second study of a model of 100 UK patients with metastatic renal
cell carcinoma evaluated the economic impact of utilizing an
angiogenesis-specific imaging (AI) biomarker to identify disease
progression versus RECIST monitoring among sunitinib-treated patients.
The study revealed that use of the biomarker resulted in per-patient
cost savings of £683 per patient.2 In this model, the cost
savings reflect the resources freed up which can be used to pay for
the AI biomarker.
Additionally, a third study examined the potential impact of better
targeting the use of taxane therapies in early breast cancer, by
estimating the potential cost impact of a predictive test for taxane
response. In a cohort of 100 UK patients, applying an in-vitro biomarker
that could predict patient response led to an average cost savings (as
measured by treatment costs and costs associated with adverse events
resulting from treatment) of £1,398 per patient.3
"We recognize that early economic evaluations of potential
biomarker-guided treatment pathways can provide useful preliminary
information to developers, clinicians and payers,” said Ger Brophy, Head
of New Product Development, GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics.
"Prolonged therapy exposes non-responding patients to potential risks
without clinical benefit, resulting in misallocated healthcare resources
which could be directed elsewhere. Our new diagnostics need to play a
part not only in raising the quality of healthcare, but also in making
efficient provision of good care more possible. While further clinical
development of these tests is needed; collectively, these models show
that utilizing such tests may have the potential to reduce both the
costs of treatment and also the costs of managing treatment-related
adverse events.”
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and
services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise
in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics,
patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical
manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance
solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more
people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with
healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change
necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare
systems.
Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join
us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on
reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency
around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is
a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE
Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving
healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.
For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our web site at www.gehealthcare.com.
For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com.
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1 Paramore CL, Bodnar C, Knopf KB. Estimating economic
impact of angiogenesis-specific imaging in metastatic breast
cancer. Data presented at ISPOR 15th European Congress,
3-7 November 2012, Berlin, Germany.
2 Gruschkus SK, Bodnar C, Dhamane A, et al. Economic
evaluation of reduced futile 1st line therapy in
metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients using early
angiogenesis-specific imaging. Data presented at ISPOR 15th
European Congress, 3-7 November 2012, Berlin, Germany.
3 Brown RE, Bodnar C, Knopf KB. Economic analysis of a
predictive test for taxane response in early breast cancer
patients in the UK. Data presented at ISPOR 15th
European Congress, 3-7 November 2012, Berlin, Germany.
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