Cost-Effectiveness of First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV-Infected African Children Less Than 3 Years of Age
2015
This article compares the cost-effectiveness of different strategies of first-line antiretroviral therapy (no ART, first-line nevirapine with second-line lopinavir/ritonavir, and first-line lopinavir/ritonavir with second-line nevirapine) for HIV-infected children less than 3 years of age in Africa, using the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications- Pediatric model and data obtained from the International Maternal, Pediatric, and Adolescent Clinical Trial P1060 trial.
Results demonstrated that both ART regimens were very cost-effective compared to no ART. First-line lopinavir/ritonavir led to longer life expectancy (28.8 years) and lower lifetime costs ($41,350/person, from lower second-line costs) than first-line nevirapine (27.6 years, $44,030).
Based on these results the authors conclude that first-line lopinavir/ritonavir was the preferred option compared to first-line nevirapine which is consistent with WHO guidelines.
Source:
Ciaranello AL, Doherty K, Penazzato M, Lindsey, JC, Harrison L, Kelly, K, Walensky RP, Essajee S, Losina E, Muhe L, Wools-Kaloustian K, Ayaya S, Weinstein MC, Palumbo P, Freedberg KA. Cost-Effectiveness of First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV-Infected African Children Less Than 3 Years of Age. AIDS 2015; 29 (10): 1247-1259. http://journals.lww.com/aidsonline/fulltext/2015/06190/Cost_effectiveness_of_first_line_antiretroviral.16.aspx