Vol. 3 No. 1 (2023)
Reimbursement Recommendations

Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca)

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Published January 12, 2023

Key Messages

  • CADTH recommends that Zepzelca not be reimbursed by public drug plans for the treatment of stage III or metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
  • While evidence from a clinical trial demonstrated that some patients had disease that responded during treatment with Zepzelca, without a control group there is uncertainty in how much the observed responses were due to Zepzelca treatment rather than chance.
  • There was too much uncertainty in the reviewed evidence to determine how Zepzelca compares to other treatments used in Canada in terms of delaying disease progression, improving survival, and minimizing side effects.
  • It is unclear whether Zepzelca meets any of the needs identified by patients: improving survival, delaying disease progression, relieving cancer symptoms, minimizing side effects, and maintaining or improving quality of life.