Vol. 4 No. 9 (2024)
Reimbursement Recommendations

Brentuximab Vedotin (Adcetris)

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Published September 17, 2024

Key Messages

  • CADTH recommends that Adcetris be reimbursed by public drug plans for the treatment of patients with previously untreated advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) if certain conditions are met.
  • Adcetris should only be covered to treat adults aged 18 years or older with advanced stage classical HL or children and adolescents aged 2 years or older with high-risk HL who are in relatively good health. Adcetris should not be covered to treat patients with nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL, severe sensory or motor peripheral neuropathy, cerebral or meningeal disease, or a neurologic disease that affects their daily activities.
  • Adcetris should only be reimbursed if it is prescribed by a clinician with experience treating HL and its cost is reduced. In the pediatric population, the prescribing clinician should also have expertise in pediatric oncology. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) should be used in combination with doxorubicin (Adriamycin), vinblastine, and dacarbazine (AVD) in adults or doxorubicin (Adriamycin), vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide (AVEPC) in pediatric patients.