2026-10-11T04:01:51Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33515076 2026-09-12T06:37:38Z category_7 category_19 category_21 category_734 category_64 category_106 portal_87 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Cost-effectiveness of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib as first-line treatment for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia in China Weiqi Chen (1806721) Yongyi Wu (18064721) Qiyun Zhu (694450) Bin Jiang (196018) Lei Si (637526) Zhao Yang (358244) Medicine Pharmacology Biotechnology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Cancer Science Policy Zanubrutinib Ibrutinib cost-effectiveness analysis waldenström macroglobulinemia Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) <p>Zanubrutinib has demonstrated superior efficacy and safety over ibrutinib for Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) in the phase 3 ASPEN trial, but its cost-effectiveness in China remains unknown. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib as first-line treatment for WM from the Chinese healthcare system perspective.</p> <p>A three-state partitioned survival model (progression-free, progressive disease, death) was developed over a 15-year horizon using ASPEN trial data. Survival was extrapolated using parametric models and adjusted by relative survival. Direct medical costs were sourced from Chinese databases. ICERs were calculated using a willingness-to-pay threshold of $37,849/QALY (three times China’s 2023 GDP per capita). Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted.</p> <p>Zanubrutinib resulted in an incremental gain of 0.084 QALYs at a cost saving of $26,768 per patient compared with ibrutinib, yielding an ICER of −$318,719/QALY. The negative ICER indicates that zanubrutinib is both more effective and cost-saving (i.e. a dominant strategy) relative to ibrutinib. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.</p> <p>Under current Chinese pricing and healthcare system conditions, zanubrutinib is a cost-effective and dominant alternative to ibrutinib for first-line treatment of WM.</p> <p><b>What is this study about?</b></p> <p>Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare type of blood cancer. Two targeted drugs, zanubrutinib and ibrutinib, are commonly used as first treatment for WM. Clinical trials have shown that zanubrutinib works better and causes fewer side effects than ibrutinib. However, both drugs are expensive, and it was unclear whether zanubrutinib offers good value for money in the Chinese healthcare system.</p> <p><b>What did the researchers do?</b></p> <p>The researchers built a computer model to estimate the long-term costs and health outcomes of treating WM patients with zanubrutinib compared with ibrutinib in China. The model used data from a large clinical trial called ASPEN, along with Chinese drug prices and treatment cost information.</p> <p><b>What were the main findings?</b></p> <p>Zanubrutinib was found to be both more effective and less costly than ibrutinib. On average, each patient treated with zanubrutinib gained an extra 0.084 quality-adjusted life years (a measure that combines length and quality of life) while saving approximately $26,768 in treatment costs. These results remained consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses.</p> <p><b>Why does this matter?</b></p> <p>This study provides evidence that zanubrutinib is a cost-effective treatment option for WM patients in China. The findings may help inform healthcare policy decisions and drug pricing negotiations, particularly as China continues to expand access to innovative medicines through the National Reimbursement Drug List.</p> 2026-09-12T06:37:38Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33515076.v2 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Cost-effectiveness_of_zanubrutinib_versus_ibrutinib_as_first-line_treatment_for_patients_with_Waldenstr_m_macroglobulinemia_in_China/33515076 CC BY 4.0