← The record

GefitinibCIPLA GEFITINIB

Deferred OncologyAuthority RequiredFirst-line line

First-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with activating EGFR mutations.

4
Submissions
3 resub
2010–13
On the record
$15k–105k
ICER range
2 sourced ICERs · 2010–2013
ICER stated
Cost basis

Decisions on record

8 decisions
  • Meeting Jul 2013 Deferred Lung cancer
  • Meeting Nov 2012 Not recommended Treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whose tumours express activating mutations of the EGFR TK (tyrosine kinase).
  • Meeting Mar 2012 Recommended Lung cancer no PSD
  • Meeting Nov 2010 Not recommended Anti-cancer drug
  • Meeting Nov 2009 Recommended Anti-cancer drug no PSD
  • Meeting Mar 2008 Recommended Lung cancer no PSD
  • Meeting Mar 2008 Not recommended Lung cancer no PSD
  • Meeting Jul 2004 Recommended A selective inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase used to treat locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. no PSD

Access path

4 submissions · public record
  1. TGA registered · CIPLA GEFITINIB

    TGA label narrower than the PBS population

  2. Nov 2010
    Not recommended

    No overall survival benefit (ITT analysis showed HR 1.0, 95% CI 0.76–1.33, median OS 21.6 vs 21.9 months); submission's…

  3. Nov 2012
    Not recommended

    uncertain overall survival benefit, high and uncertain cost-effectiveness, uncertainties regarding prevalence of EGFR…

  4. ↻ resubmitted
    Nov 2012
    Recommended · restricted

    Comparator changed: platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) →…

  5. Jul 2013
    Recommended

    Comparator changed: carboplatin and paclitaxel → platinum-based doublet chemotherapy…

  6. PBS listing · Authority Required
RecommendedDeferredNot recommended

Cost-effectiveness

2 sourced ICERs · 2010–2013

Base case claims dominance but PBAC noted this was biased in favour of gefitinib; sensitivity analyses and revised modelling with erlotinib pricing place ICER in the range $45,000–$75,000/QALY.

Depending upon the various assumptions in the model, the PBAC noted the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) could range from dominant to $45,000 - $75000/QALY. PBAC · 2013
ICER uncertain ×3ICER / price too high ×2Economic model disputed ×3Immature survival dataSurrogate endpoint

Decision context

PopulationAdults with locally advanced or metastatic (Stage IIIB/IV) non-squamous NSCLC with WHO performance status 0–2 and evidence of activating EGFR mutations.

Why it was knocked back

  • uncertain and unacceptably high cost-effectiveness, no overall survival benefit, bias in base case ICER (overestimated second-line gefitinib uptake, underestimated test costs, overestimated chemotherapy adverse event costs), small incremental QALY gains (0.0152 QALY or ~5 days), immature survival data for WJTOG3405, insufficient confidence in EGFR test accuracy

Submission history

4 entries
DecidedOutcomeComparatorICEREvidence
Jul 2013 Recommended platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) $45k–75k RCT · PFS
Nov 2012 Not recommended carboplatin and paclitaxel RCT, Meta-analysis · PFS
Nov 2012 Recommended · restricted carboplatin and paclitaxel RCT · PFS
Nov 2010 Not recommended platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) $15k–105k RCT · PFS | OS

Clinical evidence

Trials cited in the PSDs · ClinicalTrials.gov
TrialPhaseNPrimary outcomeStatus
IPASS Ph 3 1,329 Median Progression Free Survival (PFS) in Months completed

Codependent tests

MSAC
ServiceBiomarkerMSAC outcomeYear
EGFR mutation testing for gefitinib in locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC EGFR mutation supported with conditions 2012
EGFR mutation testing in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC EGFR mutation supported 2020
Small gene panel testing for NSCLC EGFR, ALK, ROS1, MET exon 14, BRAF, KRAS, RET, NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3 supported 2022

Similar precedents

By decision profile

Regulatory · TGA

Label narrower than PBS population — PBAC restricts to first-line treatment and non-squamous histology; TGA label includes all lines and histologies with EGFR mutations.