Cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab versus sorafenib as first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative analysis in China, the United States and Europe

Tislelizumab has emerged as a promising therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), although its economic viability across different healthcare systems remains uncertain.

This study compared the cost-effectiveness of tislelizumab versus sorafenib as a first-line treatment for uHCC from the perspectives of the healthcare systems of China, the United States and Europe.

A partitioned survival model was developed using data from the RATIONALE-301 trial. Costs and utilities were sourced from local healthcare charges, publicly available databases, and published literature. Total costs, quality-adjusted life years, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were assessed. Price simulations were conducted to identify cost-effective pricing within established willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model.

Tislelizumab (priced at $1587.45/100 mg) was cost-effective in the US at a WTP threshold of $150,000, with an ICER of $108,812.52. In Europe, tislelizumab was cost-effective at a WTP threshold of $100,000, with an ICER of $94,880.40. For $186.18/100 mg in China, tislelizumab was cost-effective with an ICER of $14,206.80. Price simulation analyses showed that in the US, tislelizumab was favored when priced below $1438.30/100 mg at a $100,000 WTP threshold and below $2284.56/100 mg at a $150,000 WTP threshold. In Europe, it was favored below $1661.82/100 mg and $2501.93/100 mg for the same thresholds. In China, tislelizumab was cost-effective at a WTP threshold of $38,184 when priced below $582.11/100 mg.

Tislelizumab presents a cost-effective first-line treatment option for uHCC, potentially supporting its broader adoption in health policy. Future research should focus on long-term efficacy and real-world data to further validate these findings.