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The cost and safety of multidose use of palivizumab vials

Julie Gooding1, Aaron Millage, Anna-Kathryn Rye

  • 1Greenville Hospital System, Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center, Greenville, SC 29605, USA. jgooding@ghs.org

Clinical Pediatrics
|September 29, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Multidose use of palivizumab (respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibody) vials may offer significant cost savings for infant prophylaxis. Bacterial contamination was not observed in multidose vials, suggesting potential for safe, economical use.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Palivizumab is a monoclonal antibody reducing respiratory syncytial virus hospitalizations in preterm infants.
  • Current FDA approval is for single-vial use, limiting cost-effectiveness.
  • Multidose vial use could significantly reduce prophylaxis costs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and cost-effectiveness of multidose palivizumab vial use.
  • To determine the bacterial contamination risk associated with multidose palivizumab vials.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial contamination analysis of 446 palivizumab vials used between 2004-2006.
  • Evaluation of potential cost savings from multidose vial implementation.

Main Results:

  • One single-use vial showed bacterial growth; all multidose vials were culture-negative.
  • Potential average annual savings of $37,410 per institution were identified.
  • No increased patient risk was observed with multidose vial use.

Conclusions:

  • Multidose palivizumab vial distribution is a viable strategy for significant cost savings.
  • Further larger-scale studies are needed to confirm the safety of this practice due to low complication incidence.

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