The single-shot drug Nirsevimab, which can prevent the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in infants, is short in supply. The Children’s Hospital Association says this will limit its impact this respiratory disease season. This drug, marketed as Beyfortus, cuts the risk of RSV-related hospitalization in infants by about 80% and, though supply constraints mean vulnerable infants are the priority, demand exceeds supply. The manufacturer AstraZeneca apparently underestimated the demand for the drug, despite its potential to prevent RSV.
The True Cost of Focusing on Cost Instead of Cost-Effectiveness
When payors consider only the cost of the medication and not the cost and risk to the patient, doctor, and healthcare system, the irony is
