Imatinib: 24 month review of adjuvant treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST)
Page last updated: 30 June 2017
Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)
February 2017
Abstract
Purpose
DUSC considered a review of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) at its October 2013 meeting. The adjuvant listing for imatinib was extended to allow an increase in its total treatment duration from 12 months to 36 months from1 December 2013. DUSC requested a further utilisation analysis of imatinib 24 months after its listing extension.
Data Source / methodology
Prescriptions for patient level and predicted versus actual analyses were extracted from the Department of Human Services (DHS) prescription database for prescriptions supplied from the February 2004 to September 2016.
Key Findings
- In the first two years from the extension to the listing on the PBS on 1 December 2013, 449 patients were supplied imatinib for the adjuvant treatment of GIST.
- The number of prescriptions was lower than predicted.
- Persistence on imatinib at Year 2 was lower than estimated.
- The total net expenditure was higher than expected, likely due to the higher than predicted average daily dose.
