Cost-effectiveness of palivizumab in infants with congenital heart disease: a Swedish perspective

BackgroundInfants with congenital heart disease (CHD) have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality during a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of palivizumab as RSV-prophylaxis among infants with CHD, including the effect of delayed heart surgery and asthma.MethodsA simulation model with data from the literature and health care authorities including costs and utilities was developed to estimate costs and health effects over a lifetime for a cohort of CHD infants receiving palivizumab compared to no RSV-prophylaxis.ResultsThe prophylaxis treatment incurred a cost of 3664 EUR per treated infant. However, due to cost-savings from primarily avoiding hospitalizations (5145 EUR/treated infant) and avoiding heart complications due to delayed heart surgery (2082 EUR/treated infant), the RSV-prophylaxis treatment resulted in a total cost-saving of 3833 EUR per treated infant. At the same time, the prophylaxis-treated cohort accumulated more life-years and higher quality of life than the non-prophylaxis cohort.ConclusionThis study confirms that RSV-prophylaxis in severe CHD infants less than one year of age is cost beneficial. Avoiding delayed heart surgeries is an important benefit of prophylaxis and should be taken into consideration.