Adjuvant Alectinib Offers Substantial Clinical and Economic Value in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology has found that adjuvant alectinib is a more effective and cost-effective treatment option compared to platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with resectable (stage IB to IIIA) ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer. The study, conducted by researchers at Genentech Inc., evaluated the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant alectinib versus adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy using a US societal perspective.

The study used a cohort-level Markov model to compare adjuvant alectinib versus platinum-based chemotherapy, with a lifetime time horizon of 40 years and a monthly cycle length. The results showed that adjuvant alectinib was estimated to lead to 3.1 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with $429,925 lower total costs per patient, demonstrating a dominant cost-effectiveness ratio compared with adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. The net monetary benefit in favor of adjuvant alectinib was $895,766 at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $150,000/QALY gained.

Key Takeaways:

  • Adjuvant alectinib is a more effective and cost-effective treatment option compared to platinum-based chemotherapy for patients with resectable (stage IB to IIIA) ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer.
  • The study estimated that adjuvant alectinib leads to 3.1 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) with $429,925 lower total costs per patient.
  • The net monetary benefit in favor of adjuvant alectinib was $895,766 at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $150,000/QALY gained.
  • The study used a cohort-level Markov model to compare adjuvant alectinib versus platinum-based chemotherapy, with a lifetime time horizon of 40 years and a monthly cycle length.
  • The results of the study were analyzed using probabilistic sensitivity analysis, which showed that adjuvant alectinib has a 99.6% probability of being more effective and less costly than adjuvant chemotherapy.

Statistics:

  • 3.1 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained with adjuvant alectinib
  • $429,925 lower total costs per patient with adjuvant alectinib
  • $895,766 net monetary benefit in favor of adjuvant alectinib
  • 99.6% probability of adjuvant alectinib being more effective and less costly than adjuvant chemotherapy
  • Lifetime time horizon of 40 years
  • Monthly cycle length

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers at Genentech Inc. Release New Data on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Adjuvant Alectinib in Patients With Resectable ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States). Cancer Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 127.
  • A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Adjuvant Alectinib in Patients With Resectable ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2025.