Beyfortus, a treatment intended to immunize babies against the main virus causing bronchiolitis, is not sufficiently reimbursed, pushing many parents to give it up, the main organizations of French pediatricians regretted on Wednesday.
“This decision to limit reimbursement appears incomprehensible and unacceptable,” said several organizations in a joint press release, including the French Society of Pediatrics (SFP) and the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA).
Beyfortus is part of a series of innovative treatments which aim to prevent or limit infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of bronchiolitis.
This particularly affects infants, in whom it causes an annual epidemic. The epidemic has already started this year, currently affecting the Paris region, even if it remains moderate in scale compared to previous years.
Beyfortus (from the AstraZeneca and Sanofi laboratories) had already been offered last year to many infants. At the time, the costs were covered by the State which had directly purchased doses from the laboratories.
But this year, the treatment is moving to more traditional reimbursement, via Health Insurance. And this only reimburses it up to 30%, the rest being the responsibility of the mutual insurance companies.
However, “many families, unable to pay the co-payment which remains their responsibility, around 300 euros, (report) that several mutual insurance companies do not reimburse or partially reimburse”, underline the pediatricians.
For comparison, many vaccines for children are reimbursed at 65% and that against measles is fully reimbursed.
The lower reimbursement of Beyfortus results from an evaluation by the High Health Authority (HAS) which described its medical benefit as “moderate”.
The HAS, which updated its opinion on Wednesday, took into account the data recorded last season, showing a clear drop in hospitalizations thanks to Beyfortus. But she also notes a lack of conclusive data on the heaviest consequences for hospitals to manage, in particular passages in intensive care.
Furthermore, despite the concerns of pediatricians, Sanofi estimated at the end of October that one in two eligible babies had already received Beyfortus.
In addition, another preventive treatment is available, Abrysvo from Pfizer, given directly to the pregnant woman and fully reimbursed as part of the management of the pregnancy.
jdy/pan/it/sp
