Operational efficiencies of using one vs multiple bispecific antibodies for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma in the US

To quantify the time- and cost-savings to US oncology practices from using a single bispecific antibody (bsAb) for both relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) compared with using two separate single-indication therapies. The study conducted a national survey of clinicians (oncologists, pharmacists, nurses/physician assistants) treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients in the US to quantify the impact of operational efficiencies identified through formative qualitative interviews with oncology staff. Quantitative analysis estimated time-savings based on survey data, assuming one new prescription per patient per year and 12 (DLBCL) and 15 (FL) administration visits per patient per year. Time-savings were combined with staff wage rates to estimate cost-savings. Among n = 105 respondents, drivers of operational efficiencies included onboarding, coordinating insurance and financial aid, and medication preparation. For a hypothetical community practice treating 100 bsAb-eligible patients (61% DLBCL, 39% FL), total time-savings were 3110 h in the first year of adoption, resulting in total monetized time-savings of $278,013. For a hypothetical academic practice, monetized time-savings were $963,074 in the first year of adoption. Using a single bsAb to treat R/R DLBCL and FL is predicted to lead to considerable time- and cost-savings for oncology practices. This study examined the benefits of using one medication that can treat two different types of blood cancer, instead of using two separate medications (one for each cancer type). The medication studied is a special treatment that can target both diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, which are two different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Currently, cancer centers often need to use different medications for each of these cancer types. This means managing separate paperwork, insurance approvals, and preparation processes for each medication. Our study surveyed 105 healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists, nurses) to understand how using a single medication for both cancers could streamline these processes. For a hypothetical community cancer center treating 100 patients with these blood cancers, using one medication instead of two separate ones could save staff over 3000 hours of work in the first year. This translates to about $278,000 in cost savings. For larger academic medical centers, the savings could be even greater – around $963,000 in the first year. These findings suggest that having one medication that effectively treats both cancer types can significantly reduce workload for healthcare staff and lower costs for cancer treatment centers, potentially allowing them to dedicate more resources to patient care.