Coverage of BCG Vaccination for children aged until 7 years old and its determinants in French Guiana.

INTRODUCTION: The overall incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in France is low; thus, BCG vaccination is no longer mandatory. In French Guiana - a French overseas territory - BCG vaccination is strongly recommended because the incidence of TB is high in the context of mass immigration from endemic countries with low BCG vaccination rates. Thus, it is important to assess Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination coverage and its predictors. METHODS: We used data from the 2014 French Guiana Yellow Fever survey, which was conducted by the Observatoire Régional de la Santé de Guyane. Demographic and immunization data from eligible children and their families were collected using a questionnaire. Children who had an immunization card and who were no older than 7 years of age at the time of the survey were eligible. The Coverage for BCG and other mandatory vaccines were estimated; the delay in BCG vaccination was also computed. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified predictors associated with BCG immunization and BCG delayed immunization (after 2 months of age). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Overall, 469 children were eligible for this study. The total BCG coverage was 79.5 %, and the proportion of children vaccinated with delay was 50.7 %. The multivariate analysis indicated that BCVA was significantly greater among children younger than 3 years of age, whose household head was employed and whose education level was greater. None of the predictors were associated with the delay of BCG vaccination.

Comparison of adherence to generic multi-tablet regimens vs. brand multi-tablet and brand single-tablet regimens likely to incorporate generic antiretroviral drugs by breaking or not fixed-dose combinations in HIV-infected patients.

Adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) is crucial to achieve viral load suppression in HIV-infected patients. This study aimed to compare adherence to generic multi-tablet regimens (MTR) vs. brand MTR likely to incorporate ARV drugs without breaking fixed-dose combinations (FDC) and brand single-tablet regimens (STR) likely to incorporate generics by breaking the FDC. Patients aged of 18 years or over exposed to one of the generic or the brand of lamivudine (3TC), zidovudine/lamivudine (AZT/TC), nevirapine (NVP), or efavirenz (EFV), or the brand STR of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir (EFV/FTC/TDF). Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) using both defined daily dose (DDD) and daily number of tablet recommended for adults (DNT). Adherence to generic MTR vs. brand MTR and brand STR was compared using Kruskal-Wallis. The overall median adherence was 0.97 (IQR 0.13) by DNT method and 0.97 (0.14) by DDD method. Adherence in patients exposed to generic MTR (n = 165) vs. brand MTR (n = 481) and brand STR (n = 470) was comparable by DNT and DDD methods. In conclusion, adherence to generic MTR was high and comparable with adherence to brand MTR and to STR. Utilization of DDD instead DNT to measure the MPR led to small but nonsignificant difference that has no clinical impact.

Utilization and costs of HIV antiretroviral drugs in Europe during the last ten years: Impact of generic antiretroviral drugs on cost reduction.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation studies showed that generic antiretroviral (ARV) drug utilization could lead to significant cost reduction of HIV treatment in developed world. This study aimed to quantify ARV utilization and costs in European countries between 2006 and 2015. We also assessed the impact of generic ARV drug utilization on cost reduction in real-life. METHODS: ARV drug utilization in 14 European countries (France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) were analysed using defined daily dose (DDD)/1000 inhabitants/year. ARV drug cost was estimated in million euro/year and euro/1000 inhabitants/year. The impact of generics on cost reduction was assessed in three countries: France, Denmark, and Czech Republic, using four parameters: expected savings, observed savings, brand price-reduction savings and overall savings. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, median ARV drug utilization increased from 234 DDDs per 1000 inhabitants per year (IQR 124-388) to 385 (229-670). The median cost increased from €3751/1000 inhabitants/year (1109-4681) to €9158 (3269-10,646). Between 2013 and 2015, overall savings of €0.9, €1.6, and €33.7 million were respectively observed in Denmark, Czech Republic, and France. CONCLUSION: Overall savings observed in real-life from generic ARV drugs in Denmark were related to high rate of low-price generic utilization, contrarily to France and Czech Republic where these were more related to brand price-reduction than generic utilization itself.

Generic antiretroviral drug use in HIV-infected patients: A cohort study from the French health insurance database.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the rate of generic users among HIV-infected patients treated by antiretroviral (ARV) drugs potentially substitutable and to determine factors associated with switch from brand to generic ARV in real-life settings in a French region. METHODS: Cohort of HIV-infected patients aged of ≥18 years, exposed to at least one of the generic of lamivudine (3TC-150mg/300mg), zidovudine/lamivudine (AZT-200mg/3TC-150mg), nevirapine (NVP-200mg), efavirenz (EFV-600mg) and those exposed to brand 3TC, AZT/3TC, NVP, EFV, the fixed-dose combination abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC) or the single-tablet regimen efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir (EFV/FTC/TDF) as recorded in the French health insurance database between January 2012 and May 2015 were included. Factors associated with switch (for each generic versus its brand drug; and for situation requiring breaking the combination) were investigated through a logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 1539 patients likely to switch from brand ARV drugs, only 165 (11%) were exposed to generics. For EFV users, switch from brand to generic was associated with age (aOR=1.04 [CI: 1.00-1.08]). For ABC/3TC users, switch was significantly more frequent in patients receiving a monthly average of more than two non-ARV drugs (3.08 [1.42-6.68]) and whose regimen contained a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) as index medication (3rd agent) (5.68 [2.68-11.39]). By contrast, switch was less frequent in AZT/3TC users exposed to drugs used in digestive disorders (0.39 [0.18-0.88]) or analgesics (0.42 [0.20-0.90]). CONCLUSION: Treatment-experienced HIV patients whose disease has been stabilized (less comorbidities) are more likely to switch to generic antiretroviral drugs.