Dalbavancin in real life: Economic impact of prescription timing in French hospitals

Abstract

Objectives: The extended half-life of dalbavancin justifies a once-a-week dosing schedule and is supposed to favour early discharge. These advantages may therefore compensate for the cost of dalbavancin. We aimed to assess the real-life budget impact of dalbavancin through its impact on the length of stay in French hospitals. Methods: A multicentre cohort based on the French registry of dalbavancin use in 2019 was compared to the French national discharge summary database. Lengths of stay and budget impact related to the infection type, the time of introduction of dalbavancin, the type of catheter and patient subgroups were assessed. An early switch was defined when dalbavancin was administered as the first or second treatment and within less than 11 days of hospitalization. Results: One hundred seventy-nine patients were identified in the registry, and 154 were included in our study. Dalbavancin is mostly used for bone and joint infections, infective endocarditis and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. When compared to the data for similar patients in the national database, the length of stay was almost always shorter for patients treated with dalbavancin. The budget impact for dalbavancin was heterogeneous but frequently generated savings. Early switching was associated with savings (or lesser costs). Patients who required a deep venous catheter and those with the most severe patients benefited the most from dalbavancin. Conclusions: Our study confirms that dalbavancin is associated with early discharge, which can offset its cost and generate savings. The greatest benefit is achieved with an early switch.