title: Cost-effectiveness of respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis in various indications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of immunoprophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections with palivizumab based on actual cost and observed incidence rates in various pediatric risk groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Decision tree analysis comparing children with various combinations of the following indications: chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, or prematurity (≤32 weeks gestation), and children with none of these indications. One-way sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations were used to quantify parameter uncertainty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Florida during the 2004-2005 RSV season.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 159,790 Medicaid-eligible children aged 0 to 2 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Palivizumab prophylaxis compared with no prophylaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incremental cost (2010 US dollars) per hospitalization for RSV infection avoided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean cost of palivizumab per dose ranged from $1661 for infants younger than 6 months of age to $2584 for children in their second year of life. Among preterm infants younger than 6 months of age without other indications, immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab cost $302,103 (95% confidence interval, $141,850-$914,798) to prevent 1 RSV-related hospitalization. Given a mean cost of $8910 for 1 RSV-related hospitalization in this subgroup, palivizumab would be cost-neutral at a per-dose cost of $47. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for the other subgroups ranged from $361,727 to more than $1.3 million per RSV-related hospitalization avoided in children up to 2 years of age with chronic lung disease and no additional risk factors. Younger age and multiple indications were associated with improvements in the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost of immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab far exceeded the economic benefit of preventing hospitalizations, even in infants at highest risk for RSV infection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA. christian.hampp@fda.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hampp
authors.forename: Teresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kauf
authors.forename: Arwa S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Saidi
authors.forename: Almut G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Winterstein
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D000069455:Palivizumab; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab