Benefit plan of Keytruda & Tecentriq will be discussed

The fifth session of the HIRA's Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee, scheduled for Friday, is expected to focus on fiscal reductions

The combination of the two drugs is also of interest, Tentriq focuses on Avastin impact

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) and Tecentriq (Atezolizumab) from global pharmaceutical companies are challenging to expand their benefits as primary drugs for lung cancer.

 

According to the pharmaceutical industry and the medical community on the 10th, the HIRA's Cancer Drugs Benefit Apparel Committee will discuss ways to expand the benefits of the two drugs at its fifth meeting in 2021.

 

In the case of MSD Korea's Keytruda, five benefit expansion proposals were proposed at the fourth Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee meeting in May, and two of them were passed.

 

Benefit needs for urinary epithelial cancer secondary therapy and Hodgkin's lymphoma non-responsive secondary and recurrent fourth or higher therapy were acknowledged.

 

Three strongly desired primary care treatments for lung cancer have been put on hold ▲ Primary treatment of progressive non-small cell lung cancer positive to PD-L1 and free from EGFR or ALK mutations (Solo therapy)▲ Primary treatment of metastatic non-flat cell lung cancer without EGFR or ALK mutation (Combination of Pmetrexed and Platinum)▲Transferable squamous non-small cell lung cancer primary treatment (Parclitaxel/Carboplatin combination).

 

The government has put on hold all the expansion of benefits to primary treatments, which require a lot of funding for health insurance, and analysts say it did not recognize the financial sharing plan proposed by MSD.

 

The Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee will discuss expanding the benefit of rival drug Roche Korea's Tecentriq at its fifth meeting scheduled to take place on the 14th.

 

According to a senior official at the Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee, it was originally planned to be discussed with Tecentriq in this order regardless of Keytruda's introduction to the conference.

 

In a related development, Roche Korea is said to have applied for Tecentriq (Atezolizumab)'s first solo treatment for non-small cell lung cancer shortly after obtaining a certificate of adaptation in April.

 

Not only the pharmaceutical industry but also the medical community are watching this with interest.

 

The ministry also suggested Keytruda be discussed at the Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee in July.

 

According to the report, members of the Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee believe that Tecentriq's initial treatment financial sharing plan in the past would be the basis for benefit expansion.

 

Health authorities estimate that refunds of initial treatments are equivalent to 25 to 30% of the effect of a reduction in drug prices.

 

It seems impossible to increase benefit unless the pharmaceutical company presents another corresponding sharing plan.

 

"An analysis of Roche's initial financial sharing plan has shown tremendous effect in terms of health insurance finance," said a member of the Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee.

 

"Based on clinical trials, the application of three of the nine cycles as a way for pharmaceutical companies to share, actually has a significant cost-cutting effect," he explained.

 

"Moreover, real world data is difficult to produce the efficacy and effectiveness of drugs equivalent to clinical trials.

 

"Like clinical trials, pharmaceutical companies pay for three cycles for drugs that only work for seven weeks, not nine." "The latecomers should come up with corresponding measures, given that the starter accepted the benefit at the expense of considerable damage," he stressed.

 

Another concern is whether combination therapy of Keytruda and Tecentriq will be passed.

 

This is due to Avastin (Bevacizumab), which also affects the patent expiration.

 

The Cancer Drugs Benefit Appraisal Committee is also interested in which of Keytruda's and Tecentriq's primary use of lung cancer can be more effective.

 

"No matter how much Tecentriq lowers its price, Avastin makes it difficult to match Keytruda's combination therapy," said a member of the Cancer Drugs Benefit Apparel Committee.

 

"In the end, we have no choice but to determine which of the two combination therapies can contribute to insurance."