Latest news

Aug 18, 2022

Cost-Effectiveness of Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy in The Netherlands

Read the new article published in August 2022, written in part by SMA NBS Alliance members from the University of Groningen and Novartis Gene Therapies, about the cost-effectiveness of newborn screening for SMA in the Netherlands.

The researchers found that NBS for early identification and treatment of SMA versus later symptomatic treatment after clinical diagnosis improves health outcomes and is less costly and, therefore, is a cost-effective use of resources in the Netherlands.

This is the first economic evaluation of newborn screening for SMA followed by early treatment versus treatment after clinical diagnosis that considers the severity of SMA types 1 to 3, number of survival motor neuron 2 gene copies, and 2 available treatments.

Once again, the value of SMA newborn screening has been demonstrated in this publication using economic modeling and a health technology assessment approach.