Cost-effectiveness analysis of introduction of rapid, alternative methods to identify multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in middle-income countries

Background. Resistance to commonly used antituberculosis drugs is emerging worldwide. Conventional drug-susceptibility testing (DST) methods are slow and demanding. Alternative, rapid DST methods would permit the early detection of drug resistance and, in turn, arrest tuberculosis transmission. Methods. A cost-effectiveness analysis of 5 DST methods was performed in the context of a clinical trial that compared rapid with conventional DST methods. The methods under investigation were direct phage-replication assay (FASTPlaque-Response; Biotech), direct amplification and reverse hybridization of the rpoB gene (INNO-3LiPA; Innogenetics), indirect colorimetric minimum inhibitory concentration assay (MTT; ICN Biomedicals), and direct proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. These were compared with the widely used indirect proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Results. All alternative DST methods were found to be cost-effective, compared with other health care interventions. DST methods also generate substantial cost savings in settings of high prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Excluding the effects of transmission, the direct proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen medium was the most cost-effective alternative DST method for patient groups with prevalences of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis of 2%, 5%, 20%, and 50% (cost in US$ 2004, $94, $ 36, $ 8, and $ 2 per disability-adjusted life year, respectively). Conclusion. Alternative, rapid methods for DST are cost-effective and should be considered for use by national tuberculosis programs in middle-income countries.