Work

Healthcare resource utilisation and costs of chemotherapy and autologous haemopoietic cell transplantation of patients with multiple myeloma in China: a multi-centre retrospective analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background Multiple myeloma (MM) requires successive lines of therapy with costly novel agents, yet real-world evidence on healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and costs in China remains limited, particularly following recent drug pricing reforms. Objective To characterise HCRU and costs of chemotherapy and autologous haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in Chinese patients with MM by line of therapy and refractory status. Methods This multicentre, retrospective study included 1238 patients with MM treated at three tertiary hospitals in Eastern China between January 2020 and January 2024. HCRU and direct medical costs (adjusted to 2024 US dollars) were assessed per patient per treatment cycle for chemotherapy and per procedure for ASCT. Factors associated with costs were examined using generalised linear models. Results Mean healthcare costs per patient-cycle increased with each successive line of therapy: US$2544 for first-line, US$4845 for second-line, US$7540 for third-line and US$8688 for fourth-line or later therapy. Mean costs per patient-cycle were US$5961, US$6956 and US$7435 among patients refractory to bortezomib, lenalidomide or both agents respectively. The median length of stay for ASCT was 26 days, with a mean total cost of US$21 276. Treatment line, disease stage, age and performance status were the main cost drivers; after adjustment, costs decreased by approximately 7% per year. Conclusions HCRU and costs increased with advancing lines of therapy and greater refractoriness, underscoring the value of effective early disease control. The marked decline in costs over the study period coincided with national drug pricing reforms, highlighting their role in alleviating the economic burden of MM.

Source: BMJ Open

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-122906