JAMA Netw Open
SMART strategy lowers annual asthma management costs
In a JAMA Network Open economic evaluation, single maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART) was associated with lower annual asthma-related costs compared with traditional maintenance inhaler plus SABA rescue therapy from a U.S. payer perspective. Using a decision-tree model informed by six randomized trials (N ≈12,000), estimated annual costs were $2,181 per patient with SMART vs. $2,235 with traditional therapy, with small gains in quality-adjusted life-years and favorable cost-effectiveness across simulations. Cost differences were driven largely by fewer exacerbations and downstream health care use, despite higher unit inhaler prices.
Clinical takeaway: For patients with moderate to severe asthma, consider SMART where clinically appropriate—it may reduce exacerbations and modestly lower overall costs, supporting broader coverage and use.
Source:
Pham T, et al. (2026, February 2). JAMA Netw Open. Costs of Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy vs Traditional Therapy for Asthma. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41627815/