The economic evaluation of personalised oncology medicines: ethical challenges

Summary Insights into the molecular drivers of cancer are providing opportunities for the development of new targeted treatments and more personalised approaches to cancer management Drugs targeting mutant epidermal growth factor receptors, such as erlotinib and gefitinib, may provide more effective...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical journal of Australia 2013-10, Vol.199 (7), p.471-473
Main Authors: Lewis, Jan R R, Lipworth, Wendy L, Kerridge, Ian H, Day, Richard O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antineoplastic Agents - economics
Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use
Australia
Australia. Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee
Bioethics
Cancer
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Drugs (Pharmaceuticals)
Economics
ErbB Receptors - antagonists & inhibitors
Erlotinib Hydrochloride
Evaluation
Gefitinib
Health economics
Humans
Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy
Lung Neoplasms - economics
Neoplasms
Neoplasms - drug therapy
Neoplasms - economics
Precision Medicine - economics
Precision Medicine - ethics
Quinazolines - economics
Quinazolines - therapeutic use
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic - methods
Treatment Outcome
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
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Summary:Summary Insights into the molecular drivers of cancer are providing opportunities for the development of new targeted treatments and more personalised approaches to cancer management Drugs targeting mutant epidermal growth factor receptors, such as erlotinib and gefitinib, may provide more effective, safer and better tolerated treatment options compared with chemotherapy among appropriately selected patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). First‐line access to these newer treatments remains unfunded after several considerations by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and their assessment that these are not cost‐effective treatments. We suggest that there may be evidentiary and ethical challenges associated with the assessment of the cost‐effectiveness of personalised oncology medicines in Australia, and that a new approach is needed to determine the value and cost‐effectiveness of personalised medicine.
ISSN:0025-729X
1326-5377
DOI:10.5694/mja13.10046