Assessing Public Health and Economic Benefits of Nirsevimab or RSVpreF for Preventing RSV-Related Outcomes in Japanese Infants
Author(s)
Mehdi Ghemmouri, PharmD1, Takeshi Arashiro, MD, PhD2, Xinyu Wang, PhD3.
1Health Economics and Value Assessment, Sanofi, Lyon, France, 2Vaccines Medical, Sanofi, Tokyo, Japan, 3Health Economics & Value Assessment, Sanofi, Tokyo, Japan.
1Health Economics and Value Assessment, Sanofi, Lyon, France, 2Vaccines Medical, Sanofi, Tokyo, Japan, 3Health Economics & Value Assessment, Sanofi, Tokyo, Japan.
OBJECTIVES: In Japan, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a significant health burden on infants. While current standard of practice (SoP) provides monthly palivizumab only to high-risk infants during RSV season, this study evaluates the public health and economic impact of two immunoprophylaxis strategies: universal prophylaxis with nirsevimab and maternal immunisation (MI) with RSVpreF, compared to SoP.
METHODS: A static decision-analytic model tracked the Japanese birth cohort during their first RSV season and the second season for some high-risk infants. The model incorporated Japan-specific data on costs, epidemiology, and healthcare resource utilization. Three strategies were compared: SoP, universal prophylaxis with nirsevimab (administered at birth for infants born during RSV season or at season start for those born before), and MI (complemented by palivizumab for high-risk infants). MI was evaluated with seasonal/year-round implementation at 25%/50% coverage rates. Outcomes included RSV-related hospitalisations, intensive care unit admissions, mechanical ventilation, emergency visits, primary care visits, deaths, and recurrent wheezing.
RESULTS: Under current SoP, RSV annually causes 116,791 health events, including 23,245 hospitalisations, resulting in an economic burden of ¥9.5 billion. Universal prophylaxis with nirsevimab could prevent 59,048 health events (including 12,167 hospitalisations), reducing costs by ¥4.97 billion. Analysis shows a 4.8 to 18.8-fold greater reduction in RSV-related events with nirsevimab versus MI, which prevents between 3,146 and 12,357 events (including 864 to 3,155 hospitalisations) depending on implementation strategy and coverage rate.
CONCLUSIONS: Universal immunisation with nirsevimab could substantially reduce both the health and economic burden of RSV in Japan. Nirsevimab's sustained efficacy throughout the RSV season, its ability to protect infants regardless of gestational age, and its flexible administration allowing optimal timing of protection contribute to its superior performance compared to MI, offering comprehensive protection across the entire infant population.
METHODS: A static decision-analytic model tracked the Japanese birth cohort during their first RSV season and the second season for some high-risk infants. The model incorporated Japan-specific data on costs, epidemiology, and healthcare resource utilization. Three strategies were compared: SoP, universal prophylaxis with nirsevimab (administered at birth for infants born during RSV season or at season start for those born before), and MI (complemented by palivizumab for high-risk infants). MI was evaluated with seasonal/year-round implementation at 25%/50% coverage rates. Outcomes included RSV-related hospitalisations, intensive care unit admissions, mechanical ventilation, emergency visits, primary care visits, deaths, and recurrent wheezing.
RESULTS: Under current SoP, RSV annually causes 116,791 health events, including 23,245 hospitalisations, resulting in an economic burden of ¥9.5 billion. Universal prophylaxis with nirsevimab could prevent 59,048 health events (including 12,167 hospitalisations), reducing costs by ¥4.97 billion. Analysis shows a 4.8 to 18.8-fold greater reduction in RSV-related events with nirsevimab versus MI, which prevents between 3,146 and 12,357 events (including 864 to 3,155 hospitalisations) depending on implementation strategy and coverage rate.
CONCLUSIONS: Universal immunisation with nirsevimab could substantially reduce both the health and economic burden of RSV in Japan. Nirsevimab's sustained efficacy throughout the RSV season, its ability to protect infants regardless of gestational age, and its flexible administration allowing optimal timing of protection contribute to its superior performance compared to MI, offering comprehensive protection across the entire infant population.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
EE57
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
Pediatrics, Vaccines