OBJECTIVES: The US approval of nivolumab and hyaluronidase SC (NIVO SC), based on the Checkmate 67T trial—a non-inferiority study comparing NIVO SC to NIVO IV—offers a treatment option that may reduce treatment burden and improve health care efficiency. This study aims to quantify the impact of NIVO SC on a US healthcare plan’s budget and potential time savings from a payer, societal, and healthcare clinic perspective across approved indications.
METHODS: A budget-impact model was developed to estimate the impact of switching patients from NIVO IV to NIVO SC over 3 years in a US healthcare plan. The model included drug acquisition cost, administration, and IV access. Time savings were modeled based on time for drug preparation and administration with NIVO SC. Cancer epidemiology inputs were derived from published literature and SEER database, and the NIVO SC eligible population size was based on current NIVO IV usage. Drug acquisition and administration costs were sourced from public databases. Chair time and providers’ time for NIVO IV were obtained from literature. Efficacy and safety profiles were assumed consistent between NIVO SC and IV.
RESULTS: For a Medicare plan with 1 million members, the introduction of NIVO SC (up to 50% switch) resulted in an estimated cost savings of $998,190 over 3 years. The per member per month budget impact ranged from -1 to -3 cents. The per treated per member per month budget impact ranged from -$25 to -$80. By year 3, the introduction resulted in time savings of 11,787 patient and caregiver hours and 2,407 hospital staff hours.
CONCLUSIONS: NIVO SC is projected to generate direct cost savings for a healthcare plan. Furthermore, substantial time savings are expected for patients and hospital staff, which may improve healthcare efficiency. Further real-world studies are needed to validate these modeled findings.
