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Gene Therapies for Thalassemia: Betibeglogene autotemcel (e.g., Zynteglo) | |
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Description: |
Betibeglogene autotemcel is a cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Beta-thalassemia is an inherited blood disease caused by mutations in the beta-globin gene and characterized by significantly reduced or absent adult hemoglobin production. Betibeglogene autotemcel treats individuals with beta-thalassemia in its most severe form – transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia. Betibeglogene autotemcel is developed by adding functional copies of a modified form of the beta-globin gene to the patient’s own hematopoietic stem cells in the ex vivo setting. This is then administered as a single IV infusion in the hospital inpatient setting.
Regulatory Status
Betibeglogene autotemcel (e.g., Zynteglo) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 17th, 2022, for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular RBC transfusions.
Coding
See CPT/HCPC Code section below.
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Policy/ Coverage: |
Prior Approval is required for betibeglogene autotemcel (e.g., Zynteglo).
Effective October 26, 2022
Meets Primary Coverage Criteria Or Is Covered For Contracts Without Primary Coverage Criteria
Betibeglogene autotemcel meets member benefit certificate primary coverage criteria that there be scientific evidence of effectiveness in improving health outcomes when ALL the following criteria are met:
Dosage and Administration
Dosing per FDA Guidelines
The minimum recommended dose of betibeglogene autotemcel is 5.0 million CD34+ cells/kg of body weight administered as an IV injection by a healthcare professional in the hospital inpatient setting.
Dosing limits: one injection per lifetime.
Other Considerations
Please refer to separate policy on Site of Care or Site of Service Review (policy #2018030) for pharmacologic/biologic medications.
Does Not Meet Primary Coverage Criteria Or Is Investigational For Contracts Without Primary Coverage Criteria
Betibeglogene autotemcel, for any indication or circumstance not described above, does not meet member benefit certificate primary coverage criteria that there be scientific evidence of effectiveness in improving health outcomes including the following:
For members with contracts without primary coverage criteria, Betibeglogene autotemcel, for any indication or circumstance not described above, is considered investigational including the following:
Investigational services are specific contract exclusions in most member benefit certificates of coverage.
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Rationale: |
The efficacy of ZYNTEGLO was evaluated in 2 ongoing Phase 3 open-label, single-arm, 24-month, multicenter studies (Study 1 and Study 2) in 41 patients aged 4 to 34 years with β-thalassemia requiring regular transfusions. Following completion of the 24-month parent studies, patients were invited to enroll in an ongoing long-term safety and efficacy follow-up study for an additional 13 years.
Patients were considered to be eligible for the Phase 3 studies if they had a history of transfusions of at least 100 mL/kg/year of packed red blood cells (pRBCs) or with 8 or more transfusions of pRBCs per year in the 2 years preceding enrollment.
Study 1 (NCT02906202) is an ongoing Phase 3 open-label, single-arm, 24-month study to evaluate the efficacy of ZYNTEGLO in 23 patients with β-thalassemia requiring regular transfusions and with a non-β0/β0 genotype. Nineteen out of 23 patients have rolled over into a long-term follow-up study (Study 3, NCT02633943) after Month 24.
The median (min, max) duration of follow-up is 29.5 (13.0, 48.2) months. All patients remain alive at last follow-up. There were no cases of graft versus-host disease (GVHD), graft failure, or graft rejection in the clinical studies.
The benefit of ZYNTEGLO was established based on achievement of transfusion independence (TI), defined as a weighted average Hb ≥ 9 g/dL without any pRBC transfusions for a continuous period of ≥ 12 months at any time during the study, after infusion of ZYNTEGLO. Of 22 patients evaluable for TI, 20 (91%, 95% CI: 71, 99) achieved TI with a median (min, max) weighted average Hb during TI of 11.8 (9.7, 13.0) g/dL. All patients who achieved TI maintained TI, with a min, max duration of ongoing TI of 15.7+, 39.4+ months (N = 20). The median (min, max) time to last pRBC transfusion prior to TI was 0.9 (0.5, 2.4) months following ZYNTEGLO infusion. For the patients who were evaluable for TI and did not achieve TI (N = 2), a reduction of 32% and 31% in transfusion volume requirements and a reduction of 30% and 26% in transfusion frequency were observed from 6 months post-drug product infusion to last follow-up compared to pre-enrollment requirements.
Study 2 (NCT03207009) is an ongoing Phase 3 open-label, single-arm, 24-month study to evaluate the efficacy of ZYNTEGLO in 18 patients with β-thalassemia requiring regular transfusions and a β0/β0 or non-β0/β0 (IVS-I-110/IVS-I-110 or IVS-I-110/ β0) genotype. Ten out of 18 patients have rolled over into a long-term follow-up study (Study 3, NCT02633943) after Month 24.
The median (min, max) duration of follow-up is 24.6 (4.1, 35.5) months. All patients remain alive at last follow-up. There were no cases of GVHD, graft failure, or graft rejection in the clinical study.
The efficacy of ZYNTEGLO was established based on achievement of TI, defined the same as Study 1. Fourteen patients are evaluable for TI. Of these, 12/14 (86%, 95% CI: 57, 98) achieved TI with a median (min, max) weighted average Hb during TI of 10.20 (9.3, 13.7) g/dL. All patients who achieved TI maintained TI, with a min, max duration of ongoing TI of 12.5+, 32.8+ months (N = 12). The median (min, max) time to last pRBC transfusion prior to TI was 0.8 (0.0, 1.9) months following ZYNTEGLO infusion. For the patients who were evaluable for TI and did not achieve TI (N = 2), a reduction of 92% and 3% in transfusion volume requirements and a reduction of 87% and 21% in transfusion frequency were observed from 6 months post-drug product infusion to last follow-up compared to pre-enrollment requirements.
All 32 patients in the Phase 3 studies who achieved TI with ZYNTEGLO maintained TI. These patients exhibited durable normal or near-normal total hemoglobin levels with a median (min, max) unsupported total Hb of 11.4 (9.5, 14.8) g/dL at last follow-up.
2023 Update
Annual policy review completed with a literature search using the MEDLINE database through November 2023. No new literature was identified that would prompt a change in the coverage statement.
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CPT/HCPCS: | |
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References: |
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03207009?term=03207009&draw=2&rank=1. Accessed 11/16/2022.(2022) Zynteglo. Prescribing Information. https://www.fda.gov/media/160991/download. Accessed 11/16/2022. Locatelli, F, et al.(2022) Betibeglogene Autotemcel Gene Therapy for Non-ß0/ß0 Genotype ß-Thalassemia. N Engl J Med. 2022 Feb 3;386(5):415-427. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2113206. Epub 2021 Dec 11. PMID: 34891223. Thakar, H.L. et al.(2022) A Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of the LentiGlobin BB305 Drug Product in Participants with Transfusion-Dependent Beta-Thalassemia. Bluebird Bio. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03207009?term=03207009&draw=2&rank=1. Accessed 11/16/2022. |
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Group specific policy will supersede this policy when applicable. This policy does not apply to the Wal-Mart Associates Group Health Plan participants or to the Tyson Group Health Plan participants.
CPT Codes Copyright © 2024 American Medical Association. |