Cost-Effectiveness of Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapy in Colon Cancer Treatment

Strategic Insights -

A new study conducted by researchers from Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI) combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The study, published in Frontiers in Oncology, found that ACI combined with chemotherapy provided significant clinical and economic benefits for Chinese mCRC patients, with a lower incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $35,881.71 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed data from a phase III clinical trial involving 202 patients, with 100 patients receiving ACI combined with chemotherapy and 102 receiving chemotherapy alone.
  • The ACI group demonstrated superior clinical outcomes, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 14.8 months compared to 9.9 months in the chemotherapy alone group.
  • Over a 20-year simulation, the ACI group provided an additional 1.72 QALY, yielding an ICER of $35,881.71/QALY, which was within China's willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold.
  • Scenario analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the cost-effectiveness advantages of ACI combined with chemotherapy persisted across various price scenarios and model evaluations.
  • The study concluded that ACI combined with chemotherapy provides significant clinical and economic benefits for Chinese mCRC patients, with cost-effectiveness validated through multidimensional scenario analyses and model evaluations.

Statistics:

  • 202 patients were involved in the phase III clinical trial.
  • 100 patients received ACI combined with chemotherapy, while 102 received chemotherapy alone.
  • The ACI group had a median PFS of 14.8 months compared to 9.9 months in the chemotherapy alone group.
  • The ACI group generated an additional 1.72 QALY over a 20-year simulation.
  • The ICER for ACI combined with chemotherapy was $35,881.71/QALY.
  • The WTP threshold for China was $36,721.86/QALY.

Sources:

  • Adoptive cellular immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a cost-effectiveness analysis to inform drug pricing. Frontiers in Oncology, 2025,15. (Frontiers in Oncology - http://www.frontiersin.org/oncology).
  • NewsRx. Researchers from Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University Report Recent Findings in Colon Cancer (Adoptive cellular immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a ...). Immunotherapy Weekly. June 25, 2025; p 1365.