Department of Radiation Oncology, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
Department of Pharmacology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
J Cancer Res Ther. 2024 Jul 1;20(5):1472-1485. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_2387_22. Epub 2024 Sep 19.
Chemotherapy in an integral part of cancer treatment, either administered alone or in combination with radiation. However, the cost of these drugs is often prohibitively high for most patients. To address this issue, the Government of India has established Jan Aushadhi (JAS) stores across the country, where affordable generic medicines are available. In the current study, we performed a cost minimization analysis comparing JAS drugs with branded chemotherapeutic drugs used in various cancer treatment regimens.
This study was to conduct a cost-minimization analysis by comparing the costs of different regimens when using JAS drugs, the most expensive branded drugs, and the least expensive branded drugs in the treatment of cancer in India.
The study focused on conducting a cost minimization analysis of various chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of different cancers, considering the availability of anticancer drugs at JAS stores. The costs for different chemotherapy regimens, including both anticancer and supportive drugs, were calculated for single and complete cycles. The costs of the most expensive and least expensive branded drugs were noted from the Current Index of Medical Stores. The cost difference (CD) was calculated by subtracting the cost of the cheaper drug from that of the costliest brand. The cost ratio (CR) and the percentage of cost variation (PCV) were calculated for India-specific conditions.
The study analyzed the CD for various regimens using JAS drugs for chemotherapy treatment of breast, esophagus, rectal, colon, stomach, prostate, ovary, endometrial, cervical, head and neck, lung, multiple myeloma, testicular, and lymphoma cancers. It also considered chemoirradiation regimens for brain, head and neck, anorectal, esophageal, and uterine cervical cancers. Significant CDs were observed when both anticancer and supportive drugs were obtained from JAS stores.
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to consider the CD, CR, and PCV for various regimens using JAS drugs, as well as the costliest and cheapest branded drugs in standard cancer treatment regimens. The results of this study are expected to assist healthcare professionals and pharmacists in understanding the cost-saving benefits of substituting expensive branded drugs with more affordable chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer. This substitution can provide financial benefit for socioeconomically marginalized population.
化疗是癌症治疗的一个组成部分，无论是单独使用还是与放疗联合使用。然而，这些药物的成本对于大多数患者来说往往高得令人望而却步。为了解决这个问题，印度政府在全国各地设立了 Jan Aushadhi（JAS）商店，那里提供负担得起的仿制药。在当前的研究中，我们进行了成本最小化分析，比较了 JAS 药物与各种癌症治疗方案中使用的品牌化疗药物的成本。
本研究通过比较使用 JAS 药物、最昂贵的品牌药物和最便宜的品牌药物治疗印度癌症的不同方案的成本，进行成本最小化分析。
该研究侧重于对 JAS 商店提供的各种用于治疗不同癌症的化疗药物进行成本最小化分析。考虑到不同化疗方案中抗癌药物和支持性药物的成本，计算了单个和完整周期的成本。从当前药品索引中记录了最昂贵和最便宜品牌药物的成本。通过从最昂贵品牌药物的成本中减去较便宜药物的成本来计算成本差异（CD）。计算了印度特定条件下的成本比（CR）和成本变化百分比（PCV）。
该研究分析了使用 JAS 药物进行乳腺癌、食管癌、直肠癌、结肠癌、胃癌、前列腺癌、卵巢癌、子宫内膜癌、宫颈癌、头颈部癌、肺癌、多发性骨髓瘤、睾丸癌和淋巴瘤癌症化疗治疗的各种方案的 CD。还考虑了脑、头颈部、肛门直肠、食管和子宫颈癌症的化疗放疗方案。当从 JAS 商店获得抗癌和支持性药物时，观察到显著的 CD。
据作者所知，这是第一项考虑使用 JAS 药物的各种方案的 CD、CR 和 PCV 以及标准癌症治疗方案中最昂贵和最便宜品牌药物的成本的研究。本研究的结果有望帮助医疗保健专业人员和药剂师了解用更负担得起的化疗药物替代昂贵品牌药物治疗癌症的成本节约效益。这种替代可以为社会经济边缘化人群带来经济利益。
