OBJECTIVES: The aim of this budget impact model is to estimate the change in expenditure following the adoption of Hemanext ONE® as a processing and storage system that produces a potentially superior RBC replacement therapy by removing oxygen from leuko-reduced red blood cells so that they can be stored and maintained in an improved physiological state.

METHODS: A decision Tree probabilistic model was developed in order to simulate three cohorts of transfused patients considering two alternative Scenarios: World without Hemanext and World with Hemanext. The analysis considered Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), Thalassemia and Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. The prevalence of treated patients in Italy was derived from the official Italian literature and registry. The model adopts the Italian NHS and regional perspective and allows the consideration of Transfusion Administration & testing, Blood acquisition, Iron Chelation drug, ER visits, Inpatient admission, and ESA costs. A budget Impact (BI) analysis was conducted considering the absolute difference between the world with and without scenario for a time horizon of three years.

RESULTS: A total of 32,729 patients were estimated in Italy (3% SCD, 28% Thalassemia and 69% MDS respectively). The economic burden without Hemanext for these patients from the NHS perspective was equal to € 1.16 billion per year (4% SCD, 29% Thalassemia and 67% MDS respectively). Inpatient hospitalisation and blood acquisition costs represent 57% of the overall costs. The introduction of Hemanext can reduce, under our assumptions, over € 135 million of cumulative savings over three years time horizon.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of Hemanext as a processing and storage system for RBC replacement represents a cost-saving option from the Italian NHS perspective and could increase the quality of life of patients transfused in the Italian setting.