Esomeprazole formulary exclusion: impact on total health care services use and costs.

Esomeprazole was excluded from the United Healthcare formulary for all commercial health plan members January 1, 2007. A retrospective analysis of the Ingenix LabRx database (September 1, 2005, through June 30, 2007) evaluated the effect of this exclusion on health care utilization and costs in a real-world setting. Total medical care services, including pharmacy claims, were examined for 6 months before and after the esomeprazole exclusion. Patients aged ≥ 18 years were included if they had continuous health plan enrollment (September 1, 2005, through June 30, 2007), ≥ 1 esomeprazole prescription during the index period (March 1 through August 31, 2006), and ≥ 2 esomeprazole prescriptions (with no switch to another proton pump inhibitor [PPI]) during the baseline period (sliding 6-month window from September 1 through August 31, 2006). During the 6-month post-exclusion period (January 1 through June 30, 2007), 19.5% of patients remained on esomeprazole, 43% switched to another PPI, and 37.5% had no prescription PPI claims. Compared with the previous 6 months, post-exclusion was associated with increased health care utilization, including a 4.2% increase in number of inpatient visits, and a 2.7% increase in other services (eg, laboratory testing, ambulatory procedures). Esomeprazole prescriptions decreased by 76.5%, whereas overall pharmacy claims for all drug classes (including gastrointestinal drugs) increased by 5.2%. Six-month prescription drug costs decreased by $177/patient (95% confidence interval [CI], $160-$194/patient), whereas costs for total medical services increased by $450/patient (95% CI, $259-$640/patient), resulting in a net increase of $273/patient (95% CI, $137-$408/patient). Total and gastrointestinal-related medical services costs were significantly higher for those switching to another PPI versus those continuing esomeprazole. Inpatient utilization contributed most (44.5%) to increased costs of nongastrointestinal comorbidities. This study provides real-world evidence that formulary exclusions can lead to unintended increases in overall health care utilization and costs that exceed anticipated pharmacy budget savings.

Outpatient experience of patients with GERD in the United States: analysis of the 1998-2001 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

This study documents the number of ambulatory visits associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the United States. Sample data from nearly 80,000 patients captured by the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS; 1998-2001) were analyzed. Basic demographics of patients with GERD and factors associated with each visit were assessed. Approximately 38.53 million of 2.653 billion adult outpatient visits made in the United States during the study period were GERD-related. GERD-related visits increased by 46.5% from 1998 to 2001. Most GERD-related visits were by women (54.7%) with an average age of 56.0 years, compared with patients without GERD, who were even more likely to be women (62.2%) and younger (52.6 years). Patients with GERD were more likely to have multiple reasons (50.5%) and multiple diagnoses (79.3%) per medical visit versus non-GERD patients (37.6% and 48.4%, respectively). Utilization of data from the NAMCS reveals that GERD-related visits increased annually during the study period. Patients with GERD are more likely to see a physician if they have concomitant medical conditions, making GERD a condition that is very likely untreated in a high percentage of individuals.

Effects of 6-12 months of esomeprazole treatment on the gastric mucosa.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 6-12 months of treatment with esomeprazole on the histopathology of the gastric mucosa. METHODS: Two identically designed, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of esomeprazole 40, 20, or 10 mg daily for up to 6 months, as well as a noncomparative, multicenter trial of esomeprazole 40 mg daily for up to 12 months, were conducted in 1326 patients with healed erosive esophagitis (1294 negative for Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori]). Gastric biopsy samples were obtained before treatment and on completion of (or discontinuation from) the trials. Samples were evaluated for the presence of H. pylori, characteristics of acute gastritis or atrophic gastritis, and enterochromaffin-like cell pathology. RESULTS: During treatment with esomeprazole, the number of patients with an improvement in gastric histological scores was typically greater than or equal to the number who worsened. Gastric histological scores worsened for each corporal or antral characteristic of gastritis in <6.2% of patients. Histological scores with esomeprazole and placebo were similar throughout the 6-month trials. Only one among 1326 patients treated with esomeprazole (H. pylori negative) had evidence of treatment-emergent atrophic gastritis. On final biopsy, 5-12% of patients had abnormal enterochromaffin-like cell scores (simple, linear, or micronodular hyperplasia). There were no instances of enterochromaffin-like cell dysplasia, carcinoids, or neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with healed erosive esophagitis receiving esomeprazole for up to 12 months had minor fluctuations in gastric histological scores, similar to those experienced in untreated populations. Use of esomeprazole did not raise any safety concerns with respect to the development of atrophic gastritis, or cause clinically significant changes in enterochromaffin-like cells.

Serum selenium levels in relation to markers of neoplastic progression among persons with Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND: Persons with Barrett's esophagus have a substantially greater risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma than the general population. Higher serum selenium levels have been associated with a reduced risk of several cancers; however, their association with the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma is unknown. We used a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between serum selenium levels and markers of neoplastic progression among persons with Barrett's esophagus. METHODS: Medical history, blood, and esophageal tissue specimens were collected from 399 members of a cohort study of Barrett's esophagus patients undergoing endoscopic surveillance. Serum selenium levels were measured by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. DNA content of tissue samples was measured by flow cytometry. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 9p and 17p, chromosomal regions which include the p16 and p53 tumor suppressors, respectively, was detected by automated fluorescent genotyping. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Persons with serum selenium levels in the upper three quartiles (i.e., >1.5 micro M) were less likely to have high-grade dysplasia (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3 to 0.9) or aneuploidy (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.8) than those with levels in the lowest quartile. Serum selenium levels in the upper three quartiles were associated with similar reductions in risk of 17p (p53) LOH (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2 to 0.9) and increased 4N fraction (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.3 to 1.2). By contrast, serum selenium levels were not associated with 9p (p16) LOH (OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.5 to 1.7), a marker that appears early in neoplastic progression. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results, from a cross-sectional analysis with biologic markers, suggest that higher serum selenium levels may be associated with a reduced risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma among persons with Barrett's esophagus. Because serum selenium was not associated with 9p (p16) LOH, we speculate that selenium may act primarily at later stages of progression toward adenocarcinoma.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, body mass index, and anthropometry in relation to genetic and flow cytometric abnormalities in Barrett's esophagus.

A dramatic increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has occurred among men in the United States over the last two decades. The underlying reasons remain largely unknown, although the increasing prevalence of obesity likely plays a role. Most adenocarcinomas arise in a metaplastic epithelium termed Barrett's esophagus (BE) that develops in approximately 10% of persons who have chronic gastroesophageal reflux. Persons with BE are at high risk (0.5-1.0%/year) of progressing to cancer. In a cross-sectional study of 429 persons with BE, we evaluated the associations between increased body mass index, anthropometric measures, cigarette smoking, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and markers of increased risk, including aneuploidy, increased 4N fraction, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 17p and 9p alleles, and high-grade dysplasia (HGD). In logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, NSAID use, and cigarette smoking, increasing waist:hip ratio was related to increasing risk of aneuploidy (trend P = 0.01), 17p LOH (trend P = 0.005), and 9p LOH (trend P = 0.007). The odds ratios comparing highest to lowest quartiles were 4.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-15.6] for aneuploidy, 3.9 (95% CI, 1.3-11.4) for 17p LOH, and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.2-6.3) for 9p LOH. A nonsignificant trend was also observed for increased 4N fraction, whereas little association was found for HGD. Similar patterns of risk were noted for other anthropometric measures such as waist:thigh and abdomen:thigh ratios. There was no evidence that elevated body mass index increased risk of any of the biomarkers. Suggestive evidence also was found for a protective effect of NSAID use. The odds ratios for current users, compared with those who never used NSAIDs regularly, were 0.6 (95% CI, 0.3-1.4) for increased 4N, 0.6 (95% CI, 0.3-1.3) for aneuploidy, 0.3 (95% CI, 0.1-0.7) for 17p LOH, and 0.7 (95% CI, 0.4-1.2) for HGD. There was no association between NSAID use and risk of 9p LOH. We conclude that an abdominal distribution of body fat, which is more common in men and is termed male-pattern obesity, may be a strong predictor of risk of neoplastic progression among persons with BE and may account in part for the male predominance of BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma. We also conclude that NSAID use may reduce the risk of progression to cancer in this population. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.

A randomized, double blind, dose-response comparison of balsalazide (6.75 g), balsalazide (2.25 g), and mesalamine (2.4 g) in the treatment of active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis.

OBJECTIVE: Balsalazide is a new innovative, mesalamine-containing prodrug that is activated by bacteria in the colon. Balsalazide has been shown previously to be well tolerated and effective in the treatment of acute ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to determine the dose-response of balsalazide for efficacy and safety in active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and to compare this profile with that of mesalamine, pH-dependent, delayed-release tablets. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, active control, double-blind, double-dummy, dose-response, parallel-group study was performed comparing balsalazide (6.75 g daily), balsalazide (2.25 g daily), and mesalamine (2.4 g daily), administered for 8 wk to 154 patients with active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis as verified by sigmoidoscopy. RESULTS: Eight weeks of treatment with 6.75 g of balsalazide daily provided significantly greater improvement than did balsalazide (2.25 g daily) in rectal bleeding (64.7% [6.75-g balsalazide] vs 32.4% [2.25-g balsalazide], p < 0.006), stool frequency (58.8% vs 29.4%, p < 0.006), sigmoidoscopic score (78.9% vs 52.5%, p < 0.015), and Physician's Global Assessment (73.7% vs 51.3%, p < 0.03). The efficacy of balsalazide showed a significantly more rapid onset of action than that of mesalamine (2.4 g daily) (2-wk sigmoidocopic score improvement, 54.7% [6.75-g balsalazide] vs 29.4% [2.4-g mesalamine], p = 0.006) with numerically greater improvement at 8 wk in five of seven measured signs and symptoms. Balsalazide (6.75 g daily) was well tolerated, and the safety profile did not differ significantly from that of balsalazide (2.25 g daily) or mesalamine. CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks of treatment with balsalazide (6.75 g daily) is significantly more effective than balsalazide (2.25 g daily) and more rapid in onset than mesalamine (2.4 g daily) in improving signs and symptoms of acute ulcerative colitis. Balsalazide (6.75 g daily) is well tolerated, and the safety profile does not differ from that of balsalazide (2.25 g daily) and mesalamine (2.4 g daily).