DHR-HTAIn study evaluates costs of molecular TB diagnostic platforms to support cost-effective procurement under NTEP

The Directorate of Health Research – Health Technology Assessment India (DHR‑HTAIn) carried out a health‑technology‑assessment based economic evaluation of four molecular TB diagnostic platforms—GeneXpert MTB, Truenat MTB, Pathodetect MTB and Quantiplus MTB—under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). Using a health‑system perspective and facility‑level micro‑costing at a reference volume of 50 samples per day, the study found cost per test of ₹1,387.45 (GeneXpert), ₹834.30 (Truenat), ₹723.21 (Pathodetect) and ₹244.85 (Quantiplus). Revised procurement prices quoted to NTEP are ₹692, ₹588, ₹465 and ₹340 respectively, with Quantiplus costing nearly double its earlier price and lacking rifampicin‑resistance detection, necessitating additional testing costs. The findings aim to guide cost‑effective procurement and scale‑up of molecular TB diagnostics.