ArticlePharmacoEconomics2025
Cost-Effectiveness of Adjuvant Alectinib Versus Chemotherapy for Patients with Resectable, ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Canada.
Article in PharmacoEconomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03456076 (A Phase III, Open-Label, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Adjuvant Alectinib Versus Adjuvant Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Completely Resected Stage IB), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Phase III, Open-Label, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Adjuvant Alectinib Versus Adjuvant Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Completely Resected Stage IB (Tumors Equal to or Larger Than 4cm) to Stage IIIA Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Survival outcomes of alectinib in postoperative recurrent ALK-rearranged lung cancer.Surgery today · 2026Article
- Recent FDA-approved kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy in 2025: A comprehensive review and perspectives.EXCLI journal · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFor patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the risk of disease recurrence and progression is associated with a substantial humanistic, clinical, and economic burden. In the phase III ALINA trial (NCT03456076), adjuvant alectinib significantly improved disease-free survival (DFS) compared with chemotherapy in patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant alectinib versus chemotherapy for patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC in Canada.
methodsA cost-utility model comprising eight health states was developed to estimate lifetime patient outcomes and costs of patients with resected, ALK-positive NSCLC treated with adjuvant alectinib versus platinum-based chemotherapy from a societal perspective. Patterns of disease recurrence and progression were based on ALINA and other trial data; model assumptions were consistent with existing models and validated through consultation with expert Canadian clinicians. Cost-effectiveness was assessed in terms of estimated effect on life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and healthcare costs. In addition, scenario and probabilistic analyses were performed to explore model uncertainty. An annual discount rate of 1.5% was applied to both costs and outcomes (evaluated for 2023).
resultsCompared with chemotherapy, alectinib was associated with greater total life-years (19.2 versus 13.1 years) and QALYs (15.0 versus 10.1). Alectinib was dominant over platinum-based chemotherapy as it yielded a lower lifetime cost (CA $480,967.00) versus chemotherapy (CA $592,959.00). Scenario analyses showed model robustness and consistent dominance in cost-effectiveness. Probabilistic analyses results were similar to those from the base case and scenario analyses; alectinib was dominant over chemotherapy in 93.6% of simulations of incremental costs versus incremental QALYs, and remained under a willingness-to-pay threshold of CA$50,000.00 per QALY gained in 99.7% of simulations.
conclusionsOur analysis suggests that adjuvant alectinib is dominant (i.e., more effective and less costly) to platinum-based chemotherapy in Canadian patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC. Together with the DFS benefit seen in ALINA, this analysis supports adjuvant alectinib as an important new treatment strategy.
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