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Purpose: This research aimed to develop and validate a META-algorithm combining individual immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID)-specific algorithms to identify the exact IMID indications for incident biological drug users from claims data within the context of the Italian VALORE project. Methods and Patients: All subjects with at least one dispensing of TNF-alpha inhibitors, anti-interleukin agents, and selective immunosuppressants approved for IMIDs were identified from claims databases of Latium region in Italy (observation period: 2010-2020). Validated coding algorithms for identifying individual IMIDs from claims databases were found from published literature and combined into a META-algorithm. Positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity (Se), negative predictive value (NPV), specificity (Sp), and accuracy (Acc) were estimated for each indication against the electronic therapeutic plans (ETPs) of the Latium region as the reference standard. Lastly, the frequency of the indication of use across individual biologic drugs was compared with that reported in three other Italian regions (Lombardy, Apulia, and the Veneto region). Results: In total, 9755 incident biological drug users with a single IMID indication were identified. Using the newly developed META-algorithm, an indication of use was detected in 95% (n=9255) of the total cohort. The estimated Acc, Se, Sp, PPV, and NPV, against the reference standard were as follows: 0.96, 0.86, 0.97, 0.82, and 0.98 for Crohn's disease, 0.96, 0.80, 0.98, 0.85, and 0.97 for ulcerative colitis, 0.93, 0.76, 0.99, 0.95, and 0.92 for rheumatoid arthritis, 0.97, 0.75, 0.99, 0.85, and 0.98 for spondylarthritis, and 0.91, 0.92, 0.91, 0.88, and 0.94 for psoriatic arthritis/psoriasis, respectively. Additionally, no substantial difference was observed in the frequency of indication of use by active ingredient among Latium and the other three Italian regions included in the study. Conclusion: The newly developed META-algorithm demonstrated high validity estimates in the Italian claims data and was capable of discriminating with good performance among the most frequent IMID indications.
In the claims database, the lack of information on the indication of use represents a well-known limitation for the conduct of observational studies. This study was conducted to develop and validate a META-algorithm that accurately identifies the exact indication for the use of biological drugs in treating various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Using claims databases from the Latium region, we developed and validated a META-algorithm. The META-algorithm combines disease-specific algorithms for different immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (ie, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis) and was tested against a reference standard (electronic therapeutic plans of the Lazio region). The META-algorithm reported high validity estimates and was able to distinguish with a good performance among the most frequent IMIDs as indications for use. Applying this META-algorithm may facilitate post-marketing surveillance of biological drugs such as TNF-alpha inhibitors, anti-interleukin, and selective immunosuppressants in specific therapeutic areas in an Italian setting.
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BACKGROUND: Switch patterns among different biologics and from originators to biosimilars (and vice versa) can be complex in patients with psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe switching patterns of biological drugs in PsO/PsA patients and to explore predictors of multiple switches and switch-back. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A large-scale retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Italian VALORE database. Bio-naïve users treated for PsO/PsA during 2010-2022 were included. Time to switch/swap and predictors of multiple switches and switch-back were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-thousand seven hundred bio-naïve users were included. At 3 and 5 years of follow-up, patients with at least one switch/swap were 37.1% and 47.8%, respectively. The median time to first switch/swap was significantly shorter (p< 0.001) for TNF-α inhibitors (2,068 days) than anti-IL (2,780 days). At 1 year of follow-up patients starting with IL-23 switched/swapped biological therapy less frequently than those with anti-IL-12/23 and anti-IL-17 (4.9% vs. 8.7% and 9.4%, respectively). Patients starting with anti-IL-12/23 reported a significantly lower risk of multiple switches and switch-back (0.74, 95% CI, 0.67-0.83; 0.58, 95% CI, 0.44-0.77, respectively) than those with TNF-α inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PsO/PsA starting with TNF-α inhibitors switch/swap more rapidly and frequently than those with anti-IL, which are also associated with a reduced risk of multiple switches during follow-up.
