Real-world patterns and sequences of targeted therapy use in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma in the United States: a longitudinal study.

With increasing focus on novel targeted therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), this longitudinal claims-based study evaluated real-world CLL/SLL treatment sequences, particularly sequential targeted therapy. Among patients with first-line (1 L) treatment in 2014-2017 (N = 2,612; median follow-up = 3 years), the most common 1 L treatment was chemoimmunotherapy (CIT; 44.6%), followed by CD20 (25.2%) and Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi; 21.7%). Among those with 1 L in 2018-2021 (N = 4,534; median follow-up = 1 year), these were BTKi (45.5%), CD20 (20.4%), CIT (17.5%), and B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor (8.3%). In 2014-2017, the proportion of patients receiving sequential targeted therapy in the first 2 LOTs was 11.2% (80.2% was BTKi→BTKi); in 2018-2021, this proportion was 34.3% (66.4% was BTKi→BTKi). Over time, there was a substantial increase in targeted therapy use in 1 L and sequential targeted therapy, particularly with BTKi→BTKi. Future studies should assess clinical outcomes to determine optimal sequences for CLL/SLL and reasons for restarting BTKi.

Gastrointestinal manifestations in pediatric and adult patients with Rett syndrome: an analysis of US claims and physician survey data.

Aim: Patients with Rett syndrome (RTT) experience gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of GI manifestations and the associated medical costs in patients with RTT in the USA. Patients & Methods: The study combined an insurance claims database analysis with a survey of 100 physicians experienced in RTT management. Results: GI manifestations affected 43.0% of 5940 patients, with increased prevalence in pediatric patients (45.6%) relative to adult patients (40.2%). Annualized mean medical cost of managing GI manifestations was $4473. Only 5.9-8.2% of neurologists and pediatricians ranked GI symptom management among the five most important treatment goals. Conclusion: Patients with RTT experience a high burden of GI manifestations, which translate to considerable medical costs. Importantly, the prevalence of GI manifestations was likely underestimated in this study, as only those symptoms which resulted in a healthcare encounter were captured.

Corticosteroid Use and Adherence in Patients Treated with Acthar Gel for Advanced Sarcoidosis.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term corticosteroid use in immune-mediated diseases is associated with increased risk of adverse events (AEs) and worsened health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Previous studies report chronic high-dose corticosteroid therapy results in higher rates of healthcare resource use and AE-related medical costs. Recent studies suggest Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection) is an effective steroid-sparing therapy for sarcoidosis. This study compares the corticosteroid-sparing effect between Acthar Gel and comparators and evaluates the impact of Acthar Gel adherence on reduction of corticosteroid burden. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a large administrative pharmacy and medical claims database (Symphony Health Solutions) was conducted. Patients were included with confirmed ICD-9/10 diagnosis for sarcoidosis in the study period (2014-2020), followed by ≥ 2 Acthar Gel claims or comparators (janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi)/rituximab), ≥ 18 years old, with 12 months coverage pre/post index. Outcomes were compared as change from baseline. Acthar Gel adherence was determined by proportion of days covered in the follow-up period. RESULTS: The Acthar Gel (n = 735) and comparator (n = 626) cohorts were mostly female (68-72%) between 55 and 58 years old. Compared to the comparator cohort at baseline, Acthar Gel patients had greater any corticosteroid use (80% vs. 56%, p < 0.001), extended use (61% vs. 32%, p < 0.001), and mean average daily dose (6.72 vs. 3.03, p < 0.001). After treatment, Acthar Gel patients had greater reduction from baseline in any corticosteroid use (- 9.0% vs. - 3.2%) and extended use (- 10.0% vs. - 3.0%). In the Acthar Gel adherence cohorts, patients with above average adherence had greater reduction in both measures (- 11.2% vs. - 6.1%; - 11.6% vs. - 7.6%, respectively) than patients with below average adherence. Acthar Gel patients had greater reduction of extended use at all dose levels. CONCLUSION: Acthar Gel is associated with reductions in corticosteroid use compared to alternatives. Better adherence is associated with greater reduction in corticosteroid exposure. Key Summary Points.

Patients who use corticosteroids long term for advanced sarcoidosis often suffer from negative health effects. This project aimed to evaluate whether Acthar^® Gel (repository corticotropin injection) use led to reduced corticosteroid use and whether higher adherence to Acthar Gel led to further reduction in corticosteroid use. Pharmacy and medical claims data were used to identify patients who fit certain criteria: the Acthar Gel cohort included patients with sarcoidosis who used Acthar Gel and the comparator cohort included patients with sarcoidosis who used janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors or rituximab. The Acthar Gel cohort was split into high adherence and low adherence. The Acthar Gel cohort was found to have higher corticosteroid use than the comparator group in the baseline period before initiating Acthar Gel or a comparator therapy. After initiating treatment, Acthar Gel patients had a larger reduction in corticosteroid use according to a variety of metrics including number of corticosteroid fills and extended use fills. Furthermore, when comparing those with high Acthar Gel adherence and those with low Acthar Gel adherence, the patients with above average adherence had a larger reduction in the number of corticosteroid fills and extended use fills than patients with below average adherence to Acthar Gel. Patients who use Acthar Gel and more regularly tended to use corticosteroids less, which may allow them to avoid the negative health effects from long-term, high-dosage corticosteroid use. This finding may help providers and health plans evaluate situations in which Acthar Gel treatment may be beneficial to improve patient outcomes.

Economic burden during remission and after relapse among older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia without hematopoietic stem cell transplant: A retrospective study using the SEER-Medicare database.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with a substantial clinical and economic burden. This study characterized the magnitude of this burden following initial treatment with standard or less intensive therapies (hypomethylating agents [HMAs]) and throughout different treatment phases post-remission. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry (2007-2016) linked with Medicare beneficiary claims (2007-2015) was analyzed. Patients were ≥ 65 years old with AML who initiated chemotherapy or HMAs and achieved remission. Outcomes included baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs (2019 United States dollar). Economic impacts were stratified by treatment phase (initial treatment, early post-remission, late post-remission, and post-relapse). Early and late post-remission were defined as treatment initiated ≤ 60 days and > 60 days following initial treatment, respectively. A subgroup analysis of patients receiving only HMAs as initial treatment was also conducted. Overall, 530 patients were included (mean age: 74.1 years; 53.6 % male). In the overall analysis, 68.1 % of patients received post-remission treatment; 31.9% had no post-remission treatment. Mean monthly per patient healthcare costs by treatment phase were $45,747 (initial treatment), $30,248 (early post-remission), $23,173 (late post-remission), and $37,736 (post-relapse), driven predominantly by inpatient visits. The HMA subgroup analysis comprised 71 patients (mean age: 78.8 years; 50.7 % male); mean monthly per patient healthcare costs were highest post-relapse. The economic burden of AML among older patients is substantial across all treatment phases. AML treatments that induce and prolong remission may reduce HRU and the economic burden of disease.

Epidemiology and patient journey of Rett syndrome in the United States: a real-world evidence study.

BACKGROUND: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that almost exclusively affects females and is associated with high clinical burden. However, literature characterizing the real-world journey of patients with RTT is limited. This study provided an overview of the epidemiology, patient characteristics, clinical manifestations, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), costs, and treatment patterns of patients with RTT in the US. METHODS: IQVIA™ Medical Claims Data and Longitudinal Prescription Data (11/01/2016-10/31/2019) were used to identify female patients with RTT, with the first observed diagnosis defined as the index date. Annual incidence and prevalence of RTT were assessed over the entire study period; clinical manifestations, all-cause and RTT-related HRU and costs, and treatment patterns were evaluated during the observation period-from the index date to end of clinical activity or end of data availability, whichever occurred first. Results were further stratified into pediatric (< 18 years) and adult (≥ 18 years) subgroups. RESULTS: In 2019, prevalence and incidence of RTT was 0.32 and 0.23 per 10,000 enrollees, respectively. Among 5,940 female patients (pediatric: 3,078; adult: 2,862) with mean observation period of 2.04 years, the most prevalent clinical manifestations were neurological disorders (72.8%), gastrointestinal/nutritional disorders (41.9%), and orthopedic disorders (34.6%). The incidence rate of all-cause HRU was 44.43 visits per-patient-per-year and RTT-related HRU comprised 47% of all-cause HRU. Mean all-cause healthcare costs were $40,326 per-patient-per-year, with medical costs driven by home/hospice care visits, therapeutic services, outpatient visits, and inpatient visits. RTT-related healthcare costs comprised 45% of all-cause healthcare costs. The most prevalent supportive therapy and pharmacologic agent were feeding assistance (37.9%) and antiepileptic drugs (54.8%), respectively. Trends were similar by subgroup; although, rates of HRU were generally higher among pediatric patients relative to adult patients (all-cause: 52.43 and 35.86, respectively), which translated into higher mean healthcare costs (all-cause: $45,718 and $34,548, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with RTT have substantial disease burden, including prevalent clinical manifestations, high rates of HRU and annual healthcare costs, and reliance on pharmacologic and supportive therapies. These findings underscore the unmet need for effective therapies to target the multifactorial manifestations of RTT.

All-Cause Health Care and Work Loss Burden Associated With Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug and Opioid Treatment in Employed Patients With Osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: This study estimated all-cause health care resource utilization (HRU) and costs and work loss outcomes associated with pain management of employed patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee. METHODS: Optum Health Care Solutions data were analyzed for employed patients prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tramadol, or nontramadol opioids following diagnoses of osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee. A pre-post design was used to evaluate changes in all-cause HRU and costs, and work loss days and associated costs. RESULTS: Costs rose for patients in all three cohorts (up to 198.3% for health care costs [tramadol] and up to 178.7% for work loss costs [tramadol]). Greatest increases in all-cause HRU included inpatient visits (237.9% [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs]; 600% [tramadol]). CONCLUSIONS: Study results provide evidence of increases in all-cause HRU and costs and work loss days and associated costs.

The Economic Burden of Thromboembolic Events Among Patients with Immune-Mediated Diseases.

INTRODUCTION: Thromboembolic events (TEs) are associated with considerable costs. However, there is a paucity of evidence quantifying the economic burden associated with TEs among patients with immune-mediated diseases (IMDs). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used the IBM MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Claims databases (2014-2018). Commercially insured adults with IMDs were classified into two cohorts based on diagnosis of TEs (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction). Patients in the TE cohort were matched on type of IMD, age, sex, and year of diagnosis to patients in the no TE cohort. In the TE cohort, the index date was the date of first TE following first IMD diagnosis. In the no TE cohort, the index date was assigned so the duration from first IMD diagnosis to index date matched the duration for the corresponding patient in the TE cohort. All-cause total healthcare costs were compared between cohorts in the 30-day and 1-year periods following the index date (inclusive). Unadjusted comparisons were conducted using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Adjusted results were estimated using generalized estimating equations with robust sandwich estimator. RESULTS: Overall, 9681 matched patients were included in each cohort (mean age 61.1 years; 63.7% female). The TE cohort had higher proportions of comorbidities than the no TE cohort (Charlson Comorbidity Index [1.5 vs. 0.9]; p < 0.0001). Adjusted all-cause total healthcare costs were significantly greater in the TE cohort versus no TE cohort in the 30-day and 1-year periods following the index date (cost difference: 30-day, $17,574; 1-year, $36,459; both p < 0.0001) and were driven by inpatient costs (cost difference: 30-day, $14,864; 1-year, $23,360; both p < 0.0001). TE-related healthcare costs were $15,955 and $20,239 in the 30-day and 1-year periods, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among patients with IMDs, TEs are associated with substantial economic burden within 30-days and 1-year following the event.

Risk of Thromboembolic Events and Associated Healthcare Costs in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with greater risk of thromboembolic events (TEs) due to the link between systemic inflammation and hypercoagulability. This study assessed the rates of TEs among patients with IBD versus patients without immune-mediated disease (IMD) and the cost of TEs among patients with IBD in the United States. METHODS: This study used the IBM MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases (2014-2018). To assess the incremental rates of TEs (deep vein thrombosis [DVT], pulmonary embolism [PE], ischemic stroke [IS], myocardial infarction [MI]), patients with IBD were matched to patients without IMD. Unadjusted and adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of TEs were used to compare cohorts. To assess the cost of TEs, patients with IBD with TEs were matched to patients with IBD without TEs. Costs were assessed 30 days and 1 year post index date. RESULTS: There were 34,687 matched pairs included in the rates of TE analyses. Compared to patients without IMD, patients with IBD had greater rates of DVT (adjusted IRR [95% confidence interval] 2.44 [2.00, 2.99]; p < 0.01) and PE (1.90 [1.42, 2.54]; p < 0.01). Increased rates were not observed for IS and MI. There were 1885 matched pairs included in the cost of TE analyses. Patients with IBD with TEs incurred greater healthcare costs over 30 days and 1 year versus patients without TEs (adjusted total cost difference: 30 days $20,784; 1 year $44,630; p < 0.01 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IBD experienced greater rates of DVT and PE compared to patients without IMD; this elevated risk was associated with a substantial economic burden.

Risk of Thromboembolic Events and Associated Risk Factors, Including Treatments, in Patients with Immune-mediated Diseases.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the association between thromboembolic events (TEs) and immune-mediated diseases (IMDs) and characterized the risk profile of TEs among patients with IMDs. METHODS: An administrative claims database (2014-2018) was used to identify adults with ≥2 diagnoses on different dates for ≥1 IMD (IMD cohort; ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus); patients without an IMD diagnosis were assigned to the non-IMD cohort. Patients in the IMD cohort were matched 1:1 to patients in the non-IMD cohort on age, sex, and index date. Incremental risk of TE (ie, deep vein thrombosis [DVT], pulmonary embolism [PE], myocardial infarction [MI], and ischemic stroke [IS]) was assessed using adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) to control for covariates in both cohorts. Risk factors for TEs were assessed in the IMD cohort and included age, female sex, comorbidities, baseline TEs, non-IMD treatments, and IMD treatments. FINDINGS: A total of 182,431 patients were included in each cohort (mean age, [51.3] years; 64.3% female). A higher proportion of patients in the IMD cohort versus the non-IMD cohort had ≥1 baseline TE (4.1% vs 2.7%; P < 0.0001). The IMD cohort had a 1.80 (95% CI, 1.68-1.92; P < 0.0001) times higher rate of TEs versus patients in the non-IMD cohort. After adjustments, patients in the IMD cohort had a 1.49 (95% CI, 1.40-1.59; P < 0.0001) times higher rate of TEs versus patients in the non-IMD cohort. Similar results were observed across individual TEs (DVT: aIRR = 1.78; PE: aIRR = 1.66; MI: aIRR = 1.17; IS: aIRR = 1.35; all P < 0.05). Risk factor profiles varied by TE. The greatest risk factor was respective TE during baseline (eg, patients with baseline DVT had 41.1 times the rate of DVT during the study period vs patients without baseline DVT; P < 0.001). Comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease, were associated with increased rates of MI (IRR = 2.60, 1.30, and 1.54, respectively; all P < 0.05) and IS (IRR = 1.53, 1.54, and 1.24, respectively; all P < 0.05). Janus kinase inhibitors were associated with an increased rate of PE (IRR = 2.52; P < 0.05) and nonsignificant, numerically higher rates of DVT (IRR = 1.23; P = NS) and IS (IRR = 1.82; P = NS). Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators were associated with decreased rates of TEs (DVT: IRR = 0.61, P = NS; PE: IRR = 0.30, P = NS; MI: IRR = 0.54, P = NS; IS: IRR = 0.33, P < 0.05). IMPLICATIONS: The risk of TEs was higher among patients with IMD versus patients without IMD; several factors may affect this risk.

Consequences of insurance denials among U.S. patients prescribed repository corticotropin injection (Acthar Gel) for nephrotic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Repository corticotropin injection (RCI; Acthar Gel) is indicated to induce a diuresis or a remission of proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome (NS) without uremia of the idiopathic type or that due to lupus erythematosus. This study compares patient characteristics and measurable healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) between NS patients who received a prescription for RCI and then were either approved or denied treatment by their insurers. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of adults with NS from January 2015 to December 2018 was conducted using a de-identified open-source claims database. Patients were included in the study if they had ≥1diagnosis associated with NS, were age 18+, and had medical claims activity at some point in the year preceding ("baseline") and year following ("follow up") their first approved or denied RCI prescription. Baseline characteristics were reported with p-values indicating the significance of characteristics between cohorts. To assess outcomes, approved and denied patients were matched (1:1) using propensity-matching to account for underlying differences. RESULTS: Overall, 1,232 patients met inclusion criteria for the study. At baseline, approved patients were older than denied patients (mean age 53.9 vs. 48.4) and had higher rates of comorbidities. A greater proportion of approved patients required inpatient admissions (34.1 vs. 28.0%) and "high" doses of corticosteroids (CS) (26.2 vs. 20.7%) at baseline. Matched outcomes showed directionally more denied patients with inpatient admissions compared to approved (64 vs. 52) and a greater utilization of deep vein thrombosis ultrasound (12.2 vs. 6.6%) and dialysis (10.5 vs. 6.1%). Matched, denied patients had directionally greater CS use during follow-up both in the number of patients receiving CS (104 vs. 95) and the average annualized daily dose (4.1 vs. 3.4 mg). CONCLUSION: Patients denied access to RCI treatment had directionally higher HCRU compared to matched, approved counterparts. Thus, the results of this study may aid providers and payers in evaluating scenarios where RCI may be beneficial and improve quality of care for NS patients.

Consequences of Insurance Denials Among U.S. Patients Prescribed Repository Corticotropin Injection for Acute Exacerbations of Multiple Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Repository corticotropin injection (RCI; Acthar® Gel) is indicated for the treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. Despite the well-documented clinical and economic benefits of RCI, many patients are denied use of the therapy by third-party payers. This study aims to understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of MS relapse patients who received a prescription for RCI from their physicians and then were either approved or denied treatment by their insurers. The study compares measurable clinical outcomes and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) between approved and denied cohorts. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of adults experiencing MS relapse from January 2015 to December 2018 was conducted using a de-identified open-source claims database [Symphony Health Integrated Dataverse® (IDV)]. Patients were identified using ICD codes for MS and considered to have relapsing/remitting type according to established claims-based methodology. Clinical characteristics and HCRU were analyzed during the year preceding ("baseline") and the year following ("follow-up") each patient's index date, defined as the date of a patient's first approved RCI claim (for patients with ≥ 1 approved claim) or first denied RCI claim (for patients with only denied claims). Baseline characteristics were reported with unadjusted differences and p values indicating the significance of characteristics between the two cohorts. For outcomes, match-adjusted results were reported using propensity matching to account for underlying differences between cohorts. RESULTS: The study sample included 1902 MS relapse patients with at least one claim for RCI. At baseline, approved patients were slightly older compared to denied patients (mean age 48.0 vs. 47.2), had higher rates of hemiplegia/paraplegia (6.7% vs. 3.3%), greater mobility impairment (17% vs. 11.5%), more exacerbation episodes (66.2% vs. 59.9%), and a higher number of physical therapy/rehab claims (23.5 vs. 14.0), respectively. Outcomes among the matched sample show an increased use of corticosteroids for patients denied access to RCI compared to approved patients (51.1% vs. 42.4%), more exacerbation episodes (36.6% vs. 28.2%), and an increased number of physical therapy/rehab claims (11.5% vs. 9.9%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study may aid providers and payers in evaluating scenarios where RCI may be beneficial and improve quality of care for patients experiencing MS relapse.