Estimating the economically justifiable price of nirsevimab versus standard of practice for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in neonates and infants in Spain: a cost-utility modelling study.

INTRODUCTION

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes great morbidity and mortality among newborns. Nirsevimab represents a prophylactic alternative used in Spain for a universal prophylaxis strategy of all infants. The aim of this study was to estimate the economically justifiable price (EJP) of nirsevimab in Spain, being the price to consider nirsevimab efficient compared with the standard of practice (administration of palivizumab in eligible infants and no intervention in all other).

METHODS

An economic model based on a decision tree was developed to conduct a cost-utility analysis. The RSV epidemiology, RSV-related health events, clinical variables, resources consumption, costs and utilities were derived from the scientific literature and agreed by a multidisciplinary advisory board. The analyses included the universal immunisation of all infants with nirsevimab, considering both payer and societal perspectives. The EJPs were estimated considering the following willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds: €0/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), €22 000/QALY and €30 000/QALY. Alternative scenarios (including immunisation strategy targeted at high-risk infants), deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

RESULTS

The prophylaxis with nirsevimab in all infants averted 215 878 RSV events, 9 deaths, avoided 1307 QALYs lost and reduced €48.4 and €17.3 million in direct and indirect costs. For a payer perspective, at those WTP thresholds, the EJPs resulted in €222.27, €320.52 and €356.25, raising to €281.47, €379.72 and €415.45 for a societal perspective. The robustness of the model and its results was confirmed by alternative scenarios and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Nirsevimab reduces RSV-related health events, leading to cost savings and avoided QALY loss associated with RSV infection in infants compared to the previous standard of practice. This study provides a range of cost-effective prices that would lead nirsevimab to be an efficient intervention, or even dominant (achieves better outcomes and produces cost savings), compared with the standard of-practice for RSV prevention, being key for decision-making in public health.