Cost-Effectiveness of Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Formula in the Primary Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis in At-Risk Urban Filipino Infants

To estimate, from a Filipino societal perspective, the cost-effectiveness of preventing atopic dermatitis (AD) via early nutritional intervention with 100% whey-based partially hydrolyzed formula (PHF-W) versus standard cow's milk formula (SF) in healthy, urban infants with atopic heredity who are not exclusively breast-fed.

A Markov model was used to simulate over 6 years the incidence of AD, days with AD symptoms, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and AD-related direct and indirect (i.e., parents'/caregivers' productivity loss) costs incurred by hypothetical cohorts of healthy, at-risk infants fed with either PHF-W or SF as AD prevention for ≤ 17 weeks. Efficacy estimates of PHF-W versus SF in preventing AD were literature-based. The resources used to manage AD (by severity, age, and treatment modality) were estimated using clinical pathways derived from clinical expert opinion. Local costs were applied to resource use. Results were presented as point estimates and as 95 percent credible intervals (CIs, i.e., range of values around the point estimate that include 95% of model simulations) generated via multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analysis using Monte-Carlo simulation techniques. All costs are reported in Philippines pesos (₱, where ₱1000 = US $22.24). All reported outcomes were discounted at a rate of 3.5% per year.

Based on the 6-year simulation, compared with SF, PHF-W was predicted to result in a 14-percentage point reduction (i.e., 39% vs. 25%) (95% CI 0.09-0.19) in the incidence of AD and a gain of 0.03 (i.e., 5.46 vs. 5.43) (95% CI 0.01-0.07) QALYs/patient. PHF-W's higher feeding formula cost (+₱1,304/patient) (95% CI -₱3,090 to ₱5,779) were offset by reductions in AD-related costs (-₱11,959/patient; i.e., ₱27,228 vs. ₱15,269) (95% CI -₱14,685 to -₱7,284), including, in particular, the costs of pharmacotherapy, formula used as treatment, and visits to physicians. As a result, PHF-W became a net cost-saving strategy within 38 weeks. Overall, PHF-W resulted in net savings of -₱10,654 (-US $237) (CI -₱4,240 [-US $94] to -₱14,544 [-US $323]) (i.e., ₱27,228 [US $606] vs. ₱16,574 [US $369]). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of results; the most influential variable was the first-year risk reduction in AD.

Based on the present modeling exercise, compared with SF, PHF-W appears to substantially reduce the risk of AD and its associated direct and indirect medical costs in healthy, at-risk urban Filipino infants over a 6-year period.