title: Health economics and RSV.
abstract: An economic analysis was performed in Spain to evaluate the efficiency (cost-effectiveness) of palivizumab in preventing severe RSV infection in premature infants with GA 32-35 and two or more risk factors (RF). The design was a decision tree model using data from the scientific literature and the FLIP I and FLIP II studies IRIS Study Group. The main effectiveness measure was quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained from both the National Health System (NHS) and societal perspectives. Prophylaxis with palivizumab was found to produce an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 13,849euro/QALY from the NHS perspective, and 4,605euro/QALY from the societal perspective. Palivizumab is a cost-effective therapy as prophylaxis against RSV in infants with GA 32-35 and two or more RF. Its use is efficient from the NHS perspective, since the cost of a QALY, even in the least favourable scenarios, is lower than the threshold of 30,000euro/QALY considered socially acceptable in Europe.
authors: Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, Institut Clinic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia Neonatologia, Barcelona, Spain. XCARBO@clinic.ub.es
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Carbonell-Estrany
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Lázaro y de Mercado
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D000069455:Palivizumab; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab