Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors | Access and Reimbursement | EU5 | 2017

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo and Yervoy and Merck & Co.’s Keytruda, are revolutionizing the therapeutic strategies for several cancers, notably malignant melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In Europe, Opdivo plus Yervoy is the first ICI regimen approved for malignant melanoma, and, in 2017, the European Commission granted a label expansion to Keytruda for the first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive metastatic NSCLC. As these premium-priced therapies launch for novel indications and patient populations, payer-imposed reimbursement restrictions and cost-containment strategies will play an increasingly pivotal role in oncologists’ choice of treatment and, in turn, the commercial success of ICIs.

Questions Answered in This Report:

• What are the key driving forces and constraints that influence EU5 payers’ reimbursement decisions for ICIs in malignant melanoma, NSCLC, and renal cell carcinoma?
• How do market access and reimbursement policies at the national, regional, and local level shape prescribing preferences for ICIs? How do payers prioritize diminishing budgets and monitor prescribing of ICIs accordingly?
• How do oncologists view emerging ICIs and how do they expect to prescribe them? To what extent will EU5 payer policy affect the uptake of these new entrants?

Scope:

• Markets covered: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom.
• Methodology: Survey of 251 medical oncologists and 10 country-specific interviews with European payers.
• Indication coverage: Malignant melanoma, NSCLC, renal cell carcinoma.
• Key drugs covered: Yervoy, Opdivo, Keytruda.
• Key companies mentioned: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., Roche.