ICER Publishes Final Report on Hemophilia A Therapies

Today the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released a report concluding that compared to common current dosing levels of prophylactic factor VIII, Emicizumab provided comparable or better clinical benefits. The report also found Emicizumab to be cost-saving due to the extremely high VIII prices brought about by lack of competition. In a review of valoctocogene roxaparvovec, preliminary analyses suggest that at a price of $2.5 million, the drug would also be cost-saving compared to prophylactic factor VIII for the same reasons as Emicizumab.

“Emicizumab reduces burdens on patients and caregivers and may improve patient outcomes while producing overall cost savings in the US healthcare system,” said David Rind, MD, ICER’s Chief Medical Officer. “However, emicizumab can be cost-saving at its own very high price only because it is being compared to the unnecessarily high costs in the US of prophylaxis with factor VIII. These prices — in a space with multiple products and manufacturers — represent a market that is failing people with hemophilia, who face financial toxicity from insurance cost sharing and the erosion of access due to escalating costs. Ultimately, prices that exceed the value to patients harm everyone, and especially vulnerable patients and families, trying to keep up with the rising costs of health insurance.” Read more here.