Machaon Bonafede

Treatment patterns with etanercept and adalimumab for psoriatic diseases in a real-world setting

Background: This study examined real-world etanercept and adalimumab treatment patterns in patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or both. Methods: This retrospective analysis utilized data from patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or both from a large, US claims database. Outcome measures included persistence on index therapy; pauses (7–59 days) and gaps (≥60 days) in therapy; and rates of discontinuing, switching and restarting index therapy in nonpersistent patients. Results: Of 4,453 patients, 2,534 initiated etanercept and 1,919 initiated adalimumab. In psoriasis patients (n = 2,775), 46.4% and 56.8% on etanercept and adalimumab, respectively, were persistent for ≥12 months, 49.0% and 56.3% discontinued, 23.8% and 22.4% restarted and 14.9% and 11.3% switched index therapy within 12 months. In psoriatic arthritis patients (n = 1,197), 60.7% and 63.3% on etanercept and adalimumab, respectively, were persistent for ≥12 months, 48.3% and 51.6% discontinued, 25.8% and 20.0% restarted and 16.5% and 17.9% switched index therapy. In patients with both (n = 481), 58.1% and 59.6% on etanercept and adalimumab, respectively, were persistent for ≥12 months, 42.7% and 63.2% discontinued, 24.3% and 12.6% restarted and 21.4% and 15.8% switched index therapy. Conclusions: Treatment modifications were common in patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or both within 12 months of initiating etanercept or adalimumab.

Annual acquisition and administration cost of biologic response modifiers per patient with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract Objective: To estimate annual biologic response modifier (BRM) cost per treated patient with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and/or ankylosing spondylitis receiving etanercept, abatacept, adalimumab, certolizumab, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab, or ustekinumab. Methods: This was a cohort study of 69,349 commercially insured individuals in a nationwide claims database with one of these conditions that had a claim for one of these BRMs between January 2008 and December 2010 (the index BRM/index date). Cost per treated patient was calculated as the total BRM acquisition and administration cost to the payer in the first year after the index date (including costs of other BRMs after switching) divided by the number of patients who received the index BRM. Etanercept was selected as the reference for comparisons. Results: Etanercept was the most commonly used index BRM (n = 32,298; 47%), followed by adalimumab (n = 20,582; 30%), infliximab (n = 11,157; 16%), abatacept (n = 2633; 4%), rituximab (n = 1359; 2%), golimumab (n = 687; <1%), ustekinumab (n = 388; <1%), and certolizumab (n = 245; <1%). Using etanercept as the reference, the cost per treated patient in the first year across all four conditions was 102% for adalimumab and 108% for infliximab. Newer BRMs had costs relative to etanercept that were 90% to 102% for rheumatoid arthritis, 132% for psoriasis, 100% for psoriatic arthritis, and 94% for ankylosing spondylitis. Limitations: Potential study limitations were the lack of clinical information (e.g., disease severity, treatment outcomes) or indirect costs, the inability to compare costs of newer BRMs across all four conditions, and much smaller sample sizes for newer BRMs. Conclusions: Of the BRMs that are approved for indications within all four conditions studied, etanercept had the lowest cost per treated patient when assessed across all four conditions.

Etanercept-Methotrexate Combination Therapy Initiators Have Greater Adherence and Persistence Than Triple Therapy Initiators With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

To estimate adherence and persistence with etanercept plus methotrexate (ETN‐MTX) combination therapy and MTX, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine triple therapy at 1 year following treatment initiation in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Treatment Patterns in Disease-Modifying Therapy for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in the United States

BACKGROUND Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) whose disease activity is inadequately controlled with a platform therapy (interferon beta or glatiramer acetate [GA]) may switch to another platform therapy or escalate therapy to natalizumab or fingolimod, which were approved in the US in 2006 and 2010, respectively. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe treatment patterns in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States who were followed for 2 years after initiating a disease-modifying therapy (DMT). METHODS A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted to examine treatment patterns of initial DMT use (on initial therapy for 2 years with and without gaps of ≥ 60 days, medication switching, and discontinuation) among patients with MS who initiated a platform therapy (interferon-β or glatiramer acetate) or natalizumab between January 1, 2007, and September 30, 2009; the first DMT claim was the index. Eligible patients were identified in the MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases based on continuous enrollment for 6 months before (preindex period) and 24 months after their index date, with a diagnosis of MS and no claim for a previous DMT in the 6-month preindex period. Demographics at index and clinical characteristics during the preindex period were also analyzed. RESULTS A total of 6181 MS patients were included, with 5735 (92.8%) starting on platform therapy. Natalizumab initiators were more likely to stay on index therapy (32.3% vs 16.9%, P < 0.001) and have fewer treatment gaps of ≥ 60 days (44.8% vs 55.3%, P < 0.001) compared with platform initiators. In addition, natalizumab initiators were less likely to switch treatment (13.9% vs 19.1%, P = 0.007) and took longer to switch (400.9 days vs 330.7 days, P < 0.001) compared with platform initiators. Nearly 79% of platform initiators who switched went to another platform therapy. Approximately two thirds of patients who switched to a third DMT (n = 130) switched to another platform therapy. A total of 9% of natalizumab and platform initiators discontinued DMT within the 2 years. CONCLUSIONS Most MS patients initiating DMT started on platform therapy. Natalizumab initiators tended to stay on index therapy, have fewer treatment gaps, and switch less than platform initiators in the 2 years after treatment initiation. Switching between platform therapies is common despite evidence that MS patients on platform therapy may benefit from switching to natalizumab.

Patterns of treatment, healthcare utilization and costs by lines of therapy in metastatic breast cancer in a large insured US population

AIM Metastatic breast cancer guidelines contain multiple lines of treatment and regimens; however, little data on therapeutic patterns and costs is available from real-world clinical practice. This descriptive study reports chemotherapy and biologic use, healthcare utilization and costs by line of therapy in a large insured US population. MATERIALS & METHODS Adult women with newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer (between 2005 and 2009) were identified from MarketScan® databases containing medical and pharmacy claims of >40 million enrollees insured with >100 US health plans. Descriptive statistics were reported for use, duration and mean per patient per month costs across four lines of therapy. RESULTS Out of 7767 patients identified (mean [standard deviation] age = 58.2 [12] years), ≥50% received a subsequent line of therapy across the four lines (line 2: n = 4077; line 3: n = 2033; line four: n = 1059). The top two chemotherapies were paclitaxel and capecitabine in lines one and two, and paclitaxel and gemcitabine in lines three and four. The top two biologics were trastuzumab and bevacizumab across the multiple lines of treatments. Duration (mean, standard deviation and median days) varied across multiple lines of treatments: 162.7, 176.9 and 108.0 in line one; 147.5, 146.7 and 99.0 in line two; 139.9, 131.1 and 99.0 in line three; and 130.9, 123.4 and 94.0 in line four, respectively. Mean per patient per month costs decreased with increasing follow-up from US

Active and passive surveillance of enoxaparin generics: a case study relevant to biosimilars

13,147 (<6 months) to US

Medical costs associated with cardiovascular events among high-risk patients with hyperlipidemia.

11,610 (7-12 months) to US

Cost per patient-year in response using a claims-based algorithm for the 2 years following biologic initiation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

10,219 (12-24 months) to US

Risk of Subsequent Infection Among Patients Receiving Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and Other Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs.

9,192 (24-36 months) to US

Angina and associated healthcare costs following percutaneous coronary intervention: A real-world analysis from a multi-payer database.

7,384 (>36 months). Cumulative costs increased with follow-up, from US