A cost-effectiveness analysis of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) for up to three complete assisted reproductive technology cycles in women of advanced maternal age

Abstract

Background: Current evidence suggests that preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) used during assisted reproductive technology improves per-cycle live-birth rates but cumulative live-birth rate (CLBR) was similar to a strategy of morphological assessment (MA) of embryos. No study has assessed the cost-effectiveness of repeated cycles with PGT-A using longitudinal patient-level data.

Aim: To assess the cost-effectiveness of repeated cycles with PGT-A compared to MA of embryos in older women.

Materials and methods: Micro-costing methods were used to value direct resource consumption of 2093 assisted reproductive technology-naïve women aged ≥37 years undergoing up to three 'complete assisted reproductive technology cycles' (fresh plus cryopreserved embryos) with either PGT-A or MA in an Australian clinic between 2011 and 2014. Incremental cost-effective ratios were calculated from healthcare and patient perspectives with uncertainty assessed using non-parametric bootstrap methods. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were constructed to evaluate the probability of PGT-A being cost-effective over a range of willingness-to-pay thresholds.

Results: The CLBR and mean healthcare costs per patient were 30.90% and $22 962 for the PGT-A group, and 26.77% and $21 801 for the MA group, yielding an incremental cost-effective ratio of $28 103 for an additional live birth with PGT-A. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 and above, there is more than an 80% probability of PGT-A being cost-effective from the healthcare perspective and a 50% likelihood from a patient perspective.

Conclusion: This is the first study to use real-world patient-level data to assess the cost-effectiveness of PGT-A in older women from the healthcare and patient perspectives. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate on the role of PGT-A in clinical practice.

Keywords: aneuploidy; assisted reproductive technology; cost-effectiveness analysis; cumulative live-birth rate; preimplantation genetic diagnosis.