The role of fentanyl in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain: Different biotechnologies, different results and different drug costs.

The aim of this paper was to assess the drug costs of the different biotechnologies (intranasal fentanyl spray (INFS), oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) and fentanyl buccal tablet (FBT)) in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP). We have calculated the mean drug costs (expressed in euros (€)) for patients treated for BTCP. INFS resulted the less expensive towards OTFC and FBT, with 697 440 €versus (vs.) 809 552 €vs. 779 662 €every 100 patients treated for BTCP, respectively. In conclusion, combining drug costs of different biotechnologies (INFS, OTFC and FBT) with the measure of efficacy represented by the reduction of BTCP avoided (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, ICER), INFS resulted in better cost-effectiveness.

Citation

Jacopo Giuliani, Francesco Fiorica, Alfredo Sacchetto, Gianfranco Franceschini, Ferdinando Vaccari, Andrea Bonetti. The role of fentanyl in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain: Different biotechnologies, different results and different drug costs. Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners. 2021 Mar;27(2):445-447

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PMID: 33356990

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