Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Daratumumab Monotherapy and Subsequent Therapies in Heavily Treated Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Feasible Methodology using a Korean Nationwide Population Cohort
10.4143/crt.2025.046
- Author:
Sung-Soo PARK
;
Suein CHOI
;
Seungpil JUNG
;
Seunghoon HAN
;
Chaehyeon LEE
;
Jinseon HAN
;
Soyoung KIM
;
Kihyun KIM
;
Chang-Ki MIN
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Cancer Research and Treatment
2026;58(1):300-310
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:High-cost novel therapies for multiple myeloma (MM) require evaluation of efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
Materials and Methods:This study developed a methodology to assess cost-effectiveness using nationwide data from 11,450 newly diagnosed MM patients. A novel algorithm was applied to identify lines of therapy (LoT).
Results:The number of newly diagnosed MM patients increased significantly, from 873 in 2010 to 1,464 in 2019 (p < 0.001). Advancing LoT was associated with shorter time to next treatment (TTNT) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001), while all-cause medical costs increased with each LoT (p < 0.001). Bortezomib-melphalan-prednisolone was the most common frontline regimen for transplant-ineligible patients (29.2%), while bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone was most used for transplant-eligible patients (11.3%). Daratumumab monotherapy demonstrated superior second TTNT (7.8 vs. 5.2 months) and OS (8.5 vs. 5.3 months) compared to standard care in heavily treated MM patients, with statistical significance maintained after cost adjustment. For subsequent therapies following daratumumab, a methodology was developed to estimate required medical costs using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER): Expected cost ($)=ICER×(Expected life expectancy–0.567)+35,601.
Conclusion:This study provides a novel cost-effectiveness framework linking treatment efficacy and real-world costs, supporting predictions of societal costs for future MM therapies.
