Research Article

Targeted Therapies Compared to Dacarbazine for Treatment of BRAFV600E Metastatic Melanoma: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Table 1

Model inputs.

VemurafenibDabrafenibDacarbazine

Base case adverse event probabilities by drug [4, 6]
Vomiting, nausea, Grades 1, 20.00230.00090.0106
Vomiting, nausea, Grades 3, 40.001000.0007
Diarrhea, Grades 1, 20.023000.0006
Diarrhea, Grades 3, 40.000500.0001
Hyperkeratosis, Grades 1, 20.01720.01130
Hyperkeratosis, Grades 3, 40.00100.00090
Skin papilloma, Grades 1, 20.016900
Skin papilloma, Grades 3, 4000
Squamous cell carcinoma, Grades 1, 200.00180
Squamous cell carcinoma, Grades 3, 40.01050.00360
Keratoacanthoma, Grades 1, 20.005100
Keratoacanthoma, Grades 3, 4000
Neutropenia, Grades 1, 20.000200.0019
Neutropenia, Grades 3, 40.00020.00040.0086
PPE, Grades 1, 200.00550
PPE, Grades 3, 400.00180
Leukopenia, Grades 1, 2000.0013
Leukopenia, Grades 3, 4000.0007
Thrombocytopenia, Grades 1, 2000
Thrombocytopenia, Grades 3, 4000.0020

Base case valueSensitivity analysisDistribution
Lower valueUpper value

Drug-specific utility values for each health state including side effects
Stable disease, dacarbazine0.6901Beta
Progression, dacarbazine0.4501Beta
Stable disease, dabrafenib0.7901Beta
Progression, dabrafenib0.5201Beta
Stable disease, vemurafenib0.7301Beta
Progression, vemurafenib0.4901Beta

Monthly drug costs (2013 USD)
Dacarbazine cost per month, assuming one cycle per month and including administration and prophylactic antiemetic treatment costs [1214]$988.86$678.29$1356.85Gamma
Dabrafenib monthly cost [6, 13]$7569.60$5677.20$9462.00Gamma
Vemurafenib monthly cost [4, 13]$10807.40$8105.55$13509.25Gamma

Toxicity management costs per month on treatment
Hyperkeratosis, Grades 1, 2 [13, 15, 16]$126.66$114.26$424.95Gamma
Hyperkeratosis, Grades 3, 4 [13, 15, 16] $1082.84$1070.84$1706.93Gamma
Squamous cell carcinoma [15, 17] $1595$1128$3408Gamma
Nausea, vomiting BRAF inhibitor, Grades 1, 2 [12, 13] $274.58$274.58$419.54Gamma
Nausea, vomiting BRAF inhibitor, Grades 3, 4 [1214]$6855.76$4480.05$8009.39Gamma
Diarrhea, Grades 1, 2 [13, 18]$5.81$5.81$45.89Gamma
Diarrhea, Grades 3, 4 [1315, 18]$7404.11$3550.28$7845Gamma
Keratoacanthoma, Grades 1, 2 [6, 13, 15]$113.67$66.72$181.31Gamma
Skin papilloma, Grades 2, 3 [15]$73$61$97Gamma
PPE [13, 15, 19, 20]$113.67$113.67$178.62Gamma
Nausea, vomiting, dacarbazine, Grades 1, 2 [12, 13]$84.66$2.78$4485.98Gamma
Nausea, vomiting, dacarbazine, Grades 3, 4 [1214]$6665.84$4208.25$12075.84Gamma