TY - JOUR
T1 - Real-world results of immune checkpoint inhibitors from the taiwan national health insurance registration system
AU - Hsieh, S. T.
AU - Ho, H. F.
AU - Tai, H. Y.
AU - Chien, L. C.
AU - Chang, H. R.
AU - Chang, H. P.
AU - Huang, Y. W.
AU - Huang, J. J.
AU - Lien, H. J.
AU - Huang, L. Y.
AU - Lee, P. C.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) for their financial support. No funding support was provided for preparing this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Verduci Editore s.r.l. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a major advance in cancer treatment, but their payment benefits are unclear, resulting in financial risk. In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has adapted risk-sharing mechanisms to cover ICIs by collecting and assessing real-world evidence, such as case registration data, to adjust benefit packages for each medication, increase payment benefits of ICIs, and enable national health insurance sustainability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the real-world use, effectiveness, and safety of ICIs reimbursed by the NHIA for treating multiple advanced cancers in Taiwan. We obtained data mainly from the NHIA Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Registry Database. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 1644 patients received at least one dose of ICIs. The overall response rate (RR) was 29.1%. The metastatic urothelial carcinoma of patients ineligible for chemotherapy showed the highest RR. The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.7-3 months), and renal cell carcinoma showed the longest PFS. The median PFS was reached in patients with most cancers except classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which had a small sample size. The estimated survival probability was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Under the national registration tracking system, Taiwan’s high-cost drug policy has enabled access to new medicines and maximized patient benefits.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a major advance in cancer treatment, but their payment benefits are unclear, resulting in financial risk. In Taiwan, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) has adapted risk-sharing mechanisms to cover ICIs by collecting and assessing real-world evidence, such as case registration data, to adjust benefit packages for each medication, increase payment benefits of ICIs, and enable national health insurance sustainability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the real-world use, effectiveness, and safety of ICIs reimbursed by the NHIA for treating multiple advanced cancers in Taiwan. We obtained data mainly from the NHIA Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Registry Database. RESULTS: Between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 1644 patients received at least one dose of ICIs. The overall response rate (RR) was 29.1%. The metastatic urothelial carcinoma of patients ineligible for chemotherapy showed the highest RR. The estimated median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.7-3 months), and renal cell carcinoma showed the longest PFS. The median PFS was reached in patients with most cancers except classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which had a small sample size. The estimated survival probability was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: Under the national registration tracking system, Taiwan’s high-cost drug policy has enabled access to new medicines and maximized patient benefits.
KW - Immune checkpoint inhibitors
KW - National registration tracking system
KW - Real-world data
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U2 - 10.26355/eurrev_202111_27097
DO - 10.26355/eurrev_202111_27097
M3 - Article
C2 - 34787857
AN - SCOPUS:85120170826
SN - 1128-3602
VL - 25
SP - 6548
EP - 6556
JO - European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
JF - European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
IS - 21
ER -
