Sanofi has raised the price of its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization nirsevimab (Beyfortus) by 5%.
The new list price per dose for the 50 milligram (mg) and 100 mg doses is $519.75. The price for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program will stay the same at $395.
Sean T. O’Leary, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, called the increase disappointing and said, “pediatricians and family physicians are already struggling to stock it because of the cost.”
“We recognize the importance of this product and are excited to administer it to all infants,” Dr. O’Leary said. “Unfortunately, the cost is the largest barrier to doing so, and now it's higher. I fear many infants won't have the opportunity to receive nirsevimab because of its extreme price tag.”
RSV causes about 50,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations and 100 to 300 deaths per year in children under 5 years, according to the CDC. Nirsevimab is recommended for infants under 8 months during their first RSV season and high-risk toddlers 8-19 months.
A Sanofi spokesperson said “the (price) adjustment accounts for evolving market dynamics relevant to Beyfortus” and is consistent with the company’s pricing principles. The spokesperson noted most families can access nirsevimab with no out-of-pocket cost through their insurance or the VFC program.
Clinicians participating in the company’s new program to reserve nirsevimab doses for the 2024-’25 season can get a 2% discount on orders placed through VaccineShop.com between July 1 and Aug. 31 in addition to the standard 1% discount on orders placed through that site.
In order for a provider to be eligible for the program, they must forecast and submit their doses through Sanofi's Beyfortus forecast tool by April 30. They can do so by working with their Sanofi representative or they can visit www.beyfortus.com to request a representative.
During July and August, program participants will be able to reserve doses and will be eligible for priority shipping, preferred monthly shipping schedules, 90-day payment terms and cancellation up to 14 days prior to scheduled shipments. Returns will be accepted on expired products.
Customers would receive their reserved shipments beginning in late August or early September and throughout the season.
Clinicians are not required to participate in the reservation program. The normal ordering window for nonparticipants will be September 2024 through February 2025 via vaccineshop.com. Clinicians ordering during this time would have payment terms of 60 days and no ability to schedule future shipments.
Sanofi hopes the reservation program can mitigate some of the supply issues that plagued the rollout of the immunization last fall. Infectious disease experts hailed the August 2023 approval of nirsevimab as a major advancement to protect the youngest children, but demand quickly outpaced supply.
Resources
- Information from the CDC on using nirsevimab
- Information on Sanofi’s reservation program for nirsevimab
- AAP RSV resources, including information on ordering, dosing, coding and a visual guide for nirsevimab administration
- AAP News article “How to use new CPT codes for administration of RSV immunizations”
- Vaccines for Children program operations guide addendum for nirsevimab
- Information for parents from HealthyChildren.org on RSV symptoms and when to call a doctor
- Pediatrics in Review article “Implications of Food and Drug Administration Approval of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prophylactic Medications”
