Low Use of Standard-of-Care Antiparasitic Drugs and Increased Estimated Outpatient Payments for Treating Schistosomiasis in the United States, 2013-19.

Drug utilization and payment estimates for standard-of-care treatment of schistosomiasis have not been reported previously in the United States. This study estimates the utilization of praziquantel (standard-of-care drug) among patients with schistosomiasis and outpatient payments among those who were treated with praziquantel, and investigates the factors associated with praziquantel use from 2013-19 using IBM's MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters database. Claims data showed that only 21% of patients with schistosomiasis diagnoses were treated with praziquantel. The mean total drug payments per patient treated with praziquantel increased from $110 in 2013-14 to $612 in 2015-18 (P < 0.01), and use decreased. These factors, including residing in a rural area, having a documented Schistosoma haematobium infection, or having a first schistosomiasis diagnosis in 2015-16, were associated with a decreased likelihood of patients receiving standard-of-care treatment. Policy solutions to exorbitant drug pricing, and better awareness and education among healthcare providers about schistosomiasis-especially those practicing in rural areas with high immigrant populations-are needed.

Characteristics and Price Increases Among Sole-Source, Off-Patent Drugs in the United States, 2008 to 2018.

Importance: Some sole-source, off-patent drugs in the United States have undergone substantial price hikes in recent years. Despite increased attention by lawmakers, there are limited data to guide policy. Objectives: To describe key attributes of sole-source, off-patent, off-exclusivity drugs; to characterize the prevalence of price increases; and to identify attributes associated with price increases. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, 300 sole-source, off-patent, off-exclusivity drug products met inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2018. Attributes were identified from multiple sources, and yearly wholesale acquisition cost prices were determined from First Databank. Main Outcomes and Measures: The association of drug attributes with the following 2 price change thresholds was measured after adjusting for inflation: 25% or more price increase in a calendar year (wholesale acquisition cost) and 50% or more price increase in a calendar year. The rate of annual price increase over time was also measured. Results: Of the 300 drug products and 2242 observations analyzed, the overall inflation-adjusted mean increase in drug prices was 8.8% (95% CI, 7.8%-9.8%) per year. Ninety-five drugs (31.7%) increased by 25% or more during any calendar year, and 66 drugs (22.0%) increased by 50% or more during any calendar year. An initial price of less than $2 per unit (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.36; 95% CI, 1.69-3.29), antineoplastic and immunomodulatory class (aOR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.31-5.65), dermatologic class (aOR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.80-4.84), oral route (aOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.45-2.79), and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval before 1990 (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.14-2.03) were attributes of drugs that were more likely to be associated with a 25% or more price increase in a calendar year after adjusting for by initial price. Similarly, an initial price of less than $2 per unit (aOR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.76-4.09), antineoplastic and immunomodulatory class (aOR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.54-6.12), oral route of administration (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.11-2.60), and FDA approval before 1990 (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.40-2.94) were attributes of drugs that were more likely to be associated with a 50% or more price increase in a calendar year after adjusting for by initial price. Price increases of 25% or more were most common in 2014, and price increases of 50% or more were most common in 2013. Conclusions and Relevance: Price increases among sole-source, off-patent drugs are common, and policy interest in this practice is warranted. These findings should inform state drug pricing legislation.

Barriers to malaria prevention among immigrant travelers in the United States who visit friends and relatives in sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional, multi-setting survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

BACKGROUND: Despite achievements in the reduction of malaria globally, imported malaria cases to the United States by returning international travelers continue to increase. Immigrants to the United States from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) who then travel back to their homelands to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) experience a disproportionate burden of malaria illness. Various studies have explored barriers to malaria prevention among VFRs and non-VFRs-travelers to the same destinations with other purpose for travel-but few employed robust epidemiologic study designs or performed comparative analyses of these two groups. To better quantify the key barriers that VFRs face to implement effective malaria prevention measures, we conducted a comprehensive community-based, cross-sectional, survey to identify differences in malaria prevention knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among VFRs and others traveling to Africa and describe the differences between VFRs and other types of international travelers. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Three distinct populations of travelers with past or planned travel to malaria-endemic countries of SSA were surveyed: VFRs diagnosed with malaria as reported through a state health department; members of the general VFR population (community); and VFR and non-VFR travelers presenting to a travel health clinic, both before their pretravel consultation and again, after return from travel. A Community Advisory Board of African immigrants and prior qualitative research informed survey development and dissemination. Across the three groups, 489 travelers completed surveys: 351 VFRs and 138 non-VFRs. VFRs who reported taking antimalarials on their last trip rated their concern about malaria higher than those who did not. Having taken five or more trips to SSA was reported more commonly among VFRs diagnosed with malaria than community VFRs (44.0% versus 20.4%; p = 0.008). Among travel health clinic patients surveyed before and after travel, VFR travelers were less successful than non-VFRs in adhering to their planned use of antimalarials (82.2% versus 98.7%; p = 0.001) and employing mosquito bite avoidance techniques (e.g., using bed nets: 56.8% versus 81.8%; p = 0.009). VFRs who visited the travel health clinic were more likely than VFR respondents from the community to report taking an antimalarial (83.0% versus 61.9%; p = 0.009), or to report bite avoidance behaviors (e.g., staying indoors when mosquitoes were out: 80.9% versus 59.5%; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: We observed heterogeneity in malaria prevention behaviors among VFRs and between VFR and non-VFR traveler populations. Although VFRs attending the travel health clinic appear to demonstrate better adherence to malaria prevention measures than VFR counterparts surveyed in the community, specialized pretravel care is not sufficient to ensure chemoprophylaxis use and bite avoidance behaviors among VFRs. Even when seeking specialized pretravel care, VFRs experience greater barriers to the use of malaria prevention than non-VFRs. Addressing access to health care and upstream barrier reduction strategies that make intended prevention more achievable, affordable, easier, and resonant among VFRs may improve malaria prevention intervention effectiveness.

Case Report: Epididymo-Orchitis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Genitourinary tuberculosis (TB) is a rare but well-described form of extrapulmonary TB. We present a case of a 35-year-old man from Ethiopia with scrotal swelling and fever who was found to have epididymo-orchitis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient presented to the hospital multiple times before undergoing operative debridement with fine needle aspiration and tissue biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. He improved with antituberculous therapy. Patients with TB risk factors presenting with epididymitis that is refractory to empiric antibiotic therapy warrant consideration of TB epididymitis. Our case demonstrates the high index of suspicion required to establish a diagnosis of genitourinary TB.

Strongyloides hyperinfection following hematopoietic stem cell transplant in a patient with HTLV-1-associated T-cell leukemia.

Strongyloides stercoralis has the potential to cause accelerated autoinfection in immunocompromised hosts. Screening tests for strongyloidiasis may be falsely negative in the setting of immunosuppression. We report a case of Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome in a patient with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-associated T-cell leukemia early after hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The diagnosis was made by stool ova and parasite examination, despite a negative screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Because of anticipated prolonged neutropenia, an extended course of treatment was utilized.