Second-Line Lisocabtagene Maraleucel May Be More Cost-Effective Than Standard-Care DLBCL Therapy

In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval to lisocabtagene maraleucel as a second-line treatment for patients with DLBCL. However, the cost effectiveness of lisocabtagene maraleucel is currently a topic of debate among oncologists—especially considering the drug’s cost increased from $410,300 to $447,227 between 2022 and 2023.

“In our study, we incorporated the often-overlooked societal costs associated with cancer treatment, which are typically neglected in cost-effectiveness analyses that focus solely on the health-care sector–related expenses,” explained senior study author Mohamed Abou-el-Enein, MD, PhD, MSPH, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. “Cancer treatments can diminish quality of life, causing work absences and challenges in managing everyday activities, especially among … elderly [patients]. Treatments that improve quality of life not only benefit the patients but also reduce these broader societal costs, which is an important aspect of our cost-effectiveness evaluation,” he added.