RATIONAL SUPPORTIVE THERAPY FOR CHEMOTHERAPY INDUCED ANEMIA: A PHARMACO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF ERYTHROPOIETIN THERAPY IN CANCER PATIENTS IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Authors: Larionova V. B. , Krysanov I. S. , Snegovoy A. V. , Zeinalova P. A. , Krysanova V. S. , Ermakova V. Yu. 
Published: July 2018

Modern anticancer therapy due to its intensity and molecular biology orientation allows achieving higher efficiency and theoretically reducing the incidence of complications. However, the increase in efficacy in the modern oncology really exists, but reducing complication frequency, unfortunately, is far from being solved. In many respects the problems of diagnosis, treatment and complications monitoring are associated with the impact on the complex physiological processes occurring in oncological patient. Timely implementation of modern and adequate programs for the prevention and treatment of these complications defines the concept of “supportive therapy”, which provides at least half the effectiveness of antitumor treatment.

To date, according to most studies, the most frequent complications of antitumor therapy are hematologic, in particular – anemia. In clinical practice, blood transfusions, recombinant human erythropoietins, hemopoiesis stimulating cofactors are used to correct this type of complications. The need for anemia treatment is determined by its negative impact on quality of life, as well as a negative prognostic impact on the life expectancy of cancer patients, because hypoxia of tumor tissue can be associated with resistance to chemoand radiation therapy, the stimulation of genetic mutations and neoangiogenesis, which make it difficult to control of tumor growth. In numerous studies using multivariate analysis confirmed the association of low hemoglobin levels and/or tumor tissue hypoxia with worsening prognosis and overall survival in many types of tumors. The modern anemia treatment should not be determined only by increased in hemoglobin level, but should be considered as an active prophylaxis for its reducing. Recombinant forms of human erythropoietin and intravenous forms of iron preparations should be the most popular correction methods in everyday practice.

The high cost of complex anemia therapy and the social significance of oncological diseases necessitate a pharmaco-economic analysis of registered in Russia erythropoietin preparations and the optimization of existing anemia treatment regimens in cancer patients in order to reduce the expenditures of the health budget. At present, an active import substitution program is underway in the Russian Federation to support the development of the Russian pharmaceutical industry and provide the population with more affordable medicines while maintaining its quality and efficiency. The need to address these issues, and the effective use of the domestic biological analogue epoetin alfa, served as an excuse for performing a comparative clinical and economic analysis. They were selected drugs that differ in pharmacokinetic properties: Eralfon® – analogue of epoetin alfa and Aranesp® – darbepoetin alfa.

The treatment model of adults oncological patients with anemia receiving chemotherapy was created, which takes into account various therapies using erythropoietin preparations. The total therapy cost for an oncological patient with anemia is less when using short-acting erythropoietin – epoetin alfa – 131 609 rubles in comparison with the long-acting erythropoietin – darbepoetin alfa – 245 159.2 rubles, the difference was 113 550.2 rubles (–46 %) in favor of the epoetin alfa.

According to pharmaco-economic analysis, the treatment of anemia with a Russian-produced drug epoetin alfa (Eralfon®) is preferred in comparison to darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp) in adult cancer patients with nonmyeloid malignancies in the Russian Federation, as it allows increasing the number of treated patients at a cost reduction.