Analysis of medicines for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, including a predicted versus actual analysis of durvalumab, September 2022
Page last updated: 31 March 2023
Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)
September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
To review the utilisation of PBS listed medicines for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including an assessment of the predicted versus actual use of durvalumab.
Date of listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Durvalumab was PBS listed for the treatment of NSCLC on 1 March 2020.
Data Source / methodology
Data extracted from the PBS database maintained by Department of Health and Aged Care, processed by Services Australia were used for the analyses.
Key Findings
- In 2021, there were 85,606 prescriptions dispensed to 8,225 patients for the treatment of NSCLC.
- There was a greater proportion of NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapies compared to targeted therapies.
- In 2021, pembrolizumab was the most common immunotherapy. Based on targeted therapy type, the most common therapies were alectinib (anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor), osimertinib (epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor) and entrectinib (c-ROS oncogene 1 inhibitor).
- There were 1,033 and 1,259 patients treated with durvalumab during the first and second year of listing respectively, which was | than estimated.
- There were 24,241 and 22,349 durvalumab prescriptions dispensed during the first and second year of listing respectively, which was | than estimated.
- Most patients treated with immunotherapies did not switch to another immunotherapy.
Full Report
