The treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), a common hematological malignancy, remains a great challenge in China, partially due to the limited accessibility to novel agents and inadequate public health insurance coverage. Ixazomib, a novel oral proteasome inhibitor (PI), was approved by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for RRMM in 2018. While bortezomib, a traditional PI, is the recommended agent in the clinical guideline for MM. Here, we compared their costs and effectiveness.

RRMM patients who has received an ixazomib-based regimen (at least 2 cycles) were analyzed. Using a propensity score matching method, we generated a control group of RRMM patients who received the bortezomib-based regimen. The criteria included the number of treatment lines, age, and the revised international staging system stage (R-ISS) which representing the disease stage for myeloma, and paired at a ratio of 1:2 (allowing one control to match multiples). The difference in hospitalization stay, grade 3/4 adverse events rates, overall response rate (ORR), mortality during treatment, and treatment costs was then compared.

Nineteen patients received ixazomib and twenty-seven that received bortezomib were included. The ixazomib-group demonstrated a shorter hospital stay (9 days versus 27 days, p < 0.001), lower grade 3–4 adverse events rates (42.1% versus 55.6%, p < 0.001), higher ORR (63.2% versus 48.1%, p = 0.228), and lower mortality rate during treatment (0% versus 7.4%, p = 0.169) than that of bortezomib-group. The ixazomib group had lower total costs (127,620CNY versus 156,424CNY [18,033USD versus 22,103USD], p > 0.05), lower drug costs (98,376CNY versus 103,307CNY [13,901USD versus 14,598USD], p > 0.05), and the lower costs of supportive treatment (5,507CNY versus 14,701 CNY [778USD versus 2,077USD], p < 0.001). Only in terms of self-funded costs, the bortezomib-based regimen was significantly lower (37,127CNY versus 11,521CNY [5,246USD versus 1,628USD], p < 0.001).

Compared with the bortezomib-based regimen, the ixazomib-based regimen has better therapeutic effects on MM patients while saving costs. Hence, it may be preferable for use in the treatment of RRMM in China.