Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, medical director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, discussed how the FDA’s approval of Rebyota for the prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) may promote cost effective management of CDI for patients and health systems.
Unlike other off-label therapies used previously for the prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), Rebyota’s FDA approval in this space can lead to improved coverage from payers and less financial toxicity down the line for patients and health systems, said Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, medical director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Transcript
What managed care implications may the approval of Rebyota have regarding health care resource utilization and cost savings as recurrent CDI is known to cause significant health care spend?
I think this is certainly going to be very interesting with regards to cost-effectiveness. We know that these patients often end up in the hospital. They require multiple rounds of antibiotics. They often require procedures and lab assessments. And so I think, overall, this is going to be better for patients.
This is also an FDA-approved therapy, so payers will cover this therapy. Unlike FMT [fecal microbiota transplantation], as we currently have it, which is a non–FDA-approved product, as many providers will know, this is not generally covered by insurance. And so oftentimes patients are paying out of pocket for this or your hospital is eating the cost.
So, I think overall for the system to have something that we can engage with the payers on, hopefully, will be affordable on the patient side, and certainly we'll be interested to see where the price points come in, as I have not heard anything yet so I can't comment on that. But I think overall, this is going to be a move in the right direction as we're going to be able to treat patients earlier and prevent further recurrences down the line.
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
Listen
At EHA 2025, Hematology Discussions Will Stretch Across Lifespans and Locations
June 5th 2025The 2025 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, convening virtually and in Milan, Italy, from June 12 to June 15, 2025, will feature a revamped program structure for the meeting’s 30th anniversary while maintaining ample opportunities to network, debate, and absorb practice-changing findings in hematology and oncology.
Read More
Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias Cause Surging Economic Burden for Minoritized Communities
June 5th 2025African American and Latino older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias and their families are likely to face disproportionately high burdens, primarily associated with unpaid caregiving, suggesting the need for policies that may reduce economic burdens for all US residents.
Read More