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A recent phase III trial demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) associated with adding rituximab to fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (R-FC) compared to FC in treatment of previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A cost-effectiveness analysis of R-FC over FC was performed from a US third-party payer perspective over a lifetime horizon in the base case. One-way, two-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. A secondary analysis was performed by also considering a societal perspective. R-FC was associated with an incremental 1.15 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared to FC and resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $23 530 per QALY in the base case and $31 513 per QALY considering a societal perspective. Results were most sensitive to time horizon, discount rate and unit drug cost for rituximab. Within the limitations of modeling long-term outcomes, R-FC is cost-effective for previously untreated CLL.

A recent phase III trial demonstrated that maintenance rituximab® therapy after response to first-line treatment with rituximab plus chemotherapy (R-chemo) increases progression-free survival (PFS) for follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (f-NHL). A cost-effectiveness analysis of R-maintenance versus observation was conducted from a US payer perspective to estimate PFS and overall survival (OS) over a representative patient's lifetime. Primary outcomes were cost per life-year gained (LYG) and cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Compared with observation, R-maintenance increased mean PFS by 1.50 years, OS by 1.21 years and QALYs gained by 1.11 years. The incremental cost of maintenance therapy was $38,545. The costs per LYG and QALY gained were $31,934 and $34,842, respectively. Within the limitations of modeling long-term outcomes, R-maintenance therapy in patients who received R-chemo for previously untreated f-NHL compared with observation alone after R-chemo for first-line treatment for f-NHL is cost-effective from the US payer perspective.