Newborn screening for inherited metabolic diseases using tandem mass spectrometry in China: Outcome and cost–utility analysis

Objectives Few studies in China have focused on the economic evaluation of newborn screening (NBS) for inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This study assesses the total costs, benefits, benefit–cost ratio (BCR), cost–utility ratio (CUR) and incremental cost–utility ratio (ICUR) of NBS using MS/MS compared to the non-screened group. Methods The NBS outcomes of newborns who underwent MS/MS screening for IMDs in 2009–2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Records were extracted from a screening management system at the NBS Center of Zhejiang province. A cost–benefit analysis of screening was conducted, assessing screening costs for each subject, and direct and indirect treatment costs for IMDs detected by screening. The putative benefit of clinical outcomes related to early diagnosis was assumed to be improvement in quality of life and prolonged life expectancy in the screened group, as compared to the non-screened group. Results Of the 3,040,815 newborns screened, 735 (2.86%) cases were diagnosed through gene sequence analysis. The most frequently occurring types of IMD were amino acid disorders (n = 276), then fatty acid oxidation disorders (n = 248), followed by organic acidaemias (n = 211). The difference in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) ranged from 0.78 to 15.4 in the screened group. The CUR was CNY¥ 116,183.89/QALY in the screened group and CNY¥ 3,078,823.65/QALY in the non-screened group. The ICUR was CNY¥ –768,428.76/QALY, and the BCR was 6.09. Conclusions NBS using MS/MS can be considered cost-effective in China. The nationwide promotion of NBS using MS/MS deserves priority consideration and sufficient publicity.