Bendamustine for the treatment of lymphoma: 24 month predicted versus actual analysis
Page last updated: 12 July 2019
Drug utilisation sub-committee (DUSC)
February 2019
Abstract
Purpose
To compare the predicted and actual utilisation of bendamustine for the treatment of lymphoma in the first 24 months of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing.
Restriction (abridged)
Previously untreated stage III or IV indolent CD20 positive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (iNHL)
Treatment Phase: Induction treatment
Clinical criteria:
- The treatment must be in combination with rituximab, AND
- The condition must be previously untreated, AND
- The condition must be symptomatic, AND
- The treatment must be for induction treatment purposes only, AND
- Patient must not receive more than 6 cycles (12 doses) of treatment under this restriction
Previously untreated stage III or IV CD20 positive mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
The same clinical criteria as above plus;
- Patient must not be eligible for stem cell transplantation.
Data Source
The analyses use data from the Department of Human Services (DHS) prescriptions database from January 2002 to the end of September 2018 and the DHS Authority approvals database from May 2016 (date of listing of bendamustine) to the end of September 2018.
Key Findings
- The number of patients commencing treatment with bendamustine was similar to predicted in Year 1 and [redacted]% more than predicted in Year 2.
- The number of prescriptions supplied was [redacted]% less than expected in Year 1 and similar to predicted in Year 2. The lower than expected number of prescriptions per patient per year can, in part, be explained by patients initiating toward the end of one listing year and completing their induction regimen in the following year.
- There was some use of bendamustine outside the restriction:
- 10.5% of patients had more than 6 cycles (12 prescriptions) of bendamustine.
- at least 5.4% of patients treated with bendamustine had prior chemotherapy regimens indicative of treatment for iNHL or MCL;
- 4.5% of patients may be being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).
- 23% of patients receiving bendamustine had more than 6 rituximab prescriptions suggesting rituximab maintenance therapy after bendamustine + rituximab (B-R) induction.
