Treatment adherence and persistence of seven commonly prescribed biologics for moderate to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in a U.S. commercially insured population

Background Adalimumab (ADA), certolizumab pegol (CER), etanercept (ETA), guselkumab (GUS), ixekizumab (IXE), secukinumab (SEC), and ustekinumab (UST) are biologics approved for the treatment of psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We examined adherence and persistence among PsO patients with comorbid PsA who initiated treatment with any of these biologics. Methods Adult patients with ≥1 pharmacy/medical claim for any of these seven biologics, and ≥1 diagnosis of both PsO and PsA were selected from the MarketScan Commercial database (July 2014–June 2019). Adherence and persistence rates were examined among the seven study cohorts during fixed follow-up periods (3, 6, 9, and 12 months). Results Among patients with ≥9 months of continuous enrollment, 3,251 initiated ADA, 418 CER, 1,563 ETA, 126 GUS, 422 IXE, 1,596 SEC, and 1,267 UST. During the 9-month follow-up period, the proportions of adherent patients were numerically highest among those treated with GUS (59.5%) and UST (57.0%), followed by SEC (47.9%), IXE (47.6%), ADA (46.8%), ETA (37.4%), and CER (22.0%); persistence rates were also numerically highest among those treated with GUS (65.9%) and UST (65.7%). Limitations Adjustment for potential confounders was not conducted. Conclusions Adherence and persistence rates were numerically highest among patients who initiated GUS and UST

Healthcare resource utilization and costs among nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients initiating rivaroxaban or warfarin in skilled nursing facilities: a retrospective cohort study

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is present in up to 17% of patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). This study compared healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs between AF patients initiating rivaroxaban or warfarin in SNFs. Methods: Using de-identified claims from Optum Clinformatics Extended Data Mart (1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017), this retrospective cohort study indexed AF patients with first SNF admission during which rivaroxaban or warfarin was initiated within 3 days of admission. To adjust for selection bias, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied for baseline characteristics. Logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to compare HRU and costs. Results: 519 rivaroxaban and 1129 warfarin patients met inclusion criteria. After IPTW, the cohorts were well balanced for baseline characteristics. The average length of index SNF stay was 32.07 and 37.44 days for rivaroxaban and warfarin patients, respectively. During SNF stay, rivaroxaban patients had 27% lower odds of hospitalization (p \u3c .0001), 2.7 fewer international normalized ratio (INR) tests per-patient-per-month (PPPM; p \u3c .001), and 2.3 fewer pathology/laboratory encounters PPPM (p \u3c .0001) than warfarin patients. All-cause healthcare costs were $2638 lower with rivaroxaban versus warfarin (p \u3c .0001) during the index SNF stay, with lower medical costs (p \u3c .0001) but higher pharmacy costs (p \u3c .0001). Total all-cause healthcare costs 100 days post-index SNF were$8746 lower with rivaroxaban versus warfarin (p \u3c .0001). Conclusions: In the SNF setting, AF patients treated with rivaroxaban had 5-day shorter length of stay, lower HRU, and lower all-cause total and medical costs compared to warfarin, despite higher treatment costs. These findings may help inform clinical decision-making to reduce economic burde

Comparison of healthcare resource utilization and costs between rivaroxaban and warfarin for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in a skilled nursing facility setting

BACKGROUND: Use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) is increasing. Rivaroxaban is commonly used in this setting as an alternative to warfarin, based on comparable or increased efficacy in preventing stroke and a similar or lower risk of major bleeding. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs between NVAF patients receiving rivaroxaban or warfarin in SNFs. METHODS: This retrospective study examined de-identified claims from Optum RESULTS: Overall, 4423 rivaroxaban patients and 22,796 warfarin patients were identified prior to inverse probability of treatment weighting adjustment. Index SNF stay was significantly shorter among rivaroxaban-treated patients (35.8 ± 35.8 days) versus warfarin (40.1 ± 46.3 days; p \u3c 0.0001). During the SNF stay, overall HCRU was lower for the rivaroxaban cohort versus the warfarin cohort. All-cause total costs were significantly reduced for rivaroxaban ($6450 ±$10,379) versus warfarin ($7640 ±$16,556; p \u3c 0.0001), and similar results were observed when calculated on a PPPM basis. During the 1-year post-index period, PPPM all-cause total costs were significantly lower with rivaroxaban versus warfarin ($4135 vs.$4561; p \u3c 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In this SNF setting, HCRU and costs were lower among patients with NVAF who were experienced users of rivaroxaban compared with those who were experienced users of warfarin. These findings may help inform clinical decision making to reduce the economic burden of NVAF among older adults in SNFs

Comparative effectiveness of budesonide/formoterol combination and fluticasone/salmeterol combination among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients new to controller treatment: a US administrative claims database study

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β(2)-agonist combinations (ICS/LABA) have emerged as first line therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with exacerbation history. No randomized clinical trial has compared exacerbation rates among COPD patients receiving budesonide/formoterol combination (BFC) and fluticasone/salmeterol combination (FSC) to date, and only limited comparative data are available. This study compared the real-world effectiveness of approved BFC and FSC treatments among matched cohorts of COPD patients in a large US managed care setting. METHODS: COPD patients (≥40 years) naive to ICS/LABA who initiated BFC or FSC treatments between 03/01/2009-03/31/2012 were identified in a geographically diverse US managed care database and followed for 12 months; index date was defined as first prescription fill date. Patients with a cancer diagnosis or chronic (≥180 days) oral corticosteroid (OCS) use within 12 months prior to index were excluded. Patients were matched 1-to-1 on demographic and pre-initiation clinical characteristics using propensity scores from a random forest model. The primary efficacy outcome was COPD exacerbation rate, and secondary efficacy outcomes included exacerbation rates by event type and healthcare resource utilization. Pneumonia objectives included rates of any diagnosis of pneumonia and pneumonia-related healthcare resource utilization. RESULTS: Matching of the identified 3,788 BFC and 6,439 FSC patients resulted in 3,697 patients in each group. Matched patients were well balanced on age (mean = 64 years), gender (BFC: 52% female; FSC: 54%), prior COPD-related medication use, healthcare utilization, and comorbid conditions. During follow-up, no significant difference was seen between BFC and FSC patients for number of COPD-related exacerbations overall (rate ratio [RR] = 1.02, 95% CI = [0.96,1.09], p = 0.56) or by event type: COPD-related hospitalizations (RR = 0.96), COPD-related ED visits (RR = 1.11), and COPD-related office/outpatient visits with OCS and/or antibiotic use (RR = 1.01). The proportion of patients diagnosed with pneumonia during the post-index period was similar for patients in each group (BFC = 17.3%, FSC = 19.0%, odds ratio = 0.92 [0.81,1.04], p = 0.19), and no difference was detected for pneumonia-related healthcare utilization by place of service. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated no difference in COPD-related exacerbations or pneumonia events between BFC and FSC treatment groups for patients new to ICS/LABA treatment in a real-world setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01921127

Validation of an administrative claims-based diagnostic code for pneumonia in a Us-based commercially insured COPD population

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the accuracy of claims-based pneumonia diagnoses in COPD patients using clinical information in medical records as the reference standard. METHODS: Selecting from a repository containing members’ data from 14 regional United States health plans, this validation study identified pneumonia diagnoses within a group of patients initiating treatment for COPD between March 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012. Patients with ≥1 claim for pneumonia (International Classification of Diseases Version 9-CM code 480.xx–486.xx) were identified during the 12 months following treatment initiation. A subset of 800 patients was randomly selected to abstract medical record data (paper based and electronic) for a target sample of 400 patients, to estimate validity within 5% margin of error. Positive predictive value (PPV) was calculated for the claims diagnosis of pneumonia relative to the reference standard, defined as a documented diagnosis in the medical record. RESULTS: A total of 388 records were reviewed; 311 included a documented pneumonia diagnosis, indicating 80.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 75.8% to 84.0%) of claims-identified pneumonia diagnoses were validated by the medical charts. Claims-based diagnoses in inpatient or emergency departments (n=185) had greater PPV versus outpatient settings (n=203), 87.6% (95% CI: 81.9%–92.0%) versus 73.4% (95% CI: 66.8%–79.3%), respectively. Claims-diagnoses verified with paper-based charts had similar PPV as the overall study sample, 80.2% (95% CI: 71.1%–87.5%), and higher PPV than those linked to electronic medical records, 73.3% (95% CI: 65.5%–80.2%). Combined paper-based and electronic records had a higher PPV, 87.6% (95% CI: 80.9%–92.6%). CONCLUSION: Administrative claims data indicating a diagnosis of pneumonia in COPD patients are supported by medical records. The accuracy of a medical record diagnosis of pneumonia remains unknown. With increased use of claims data in medical research, COPD researchers can study pneumonia with confidence that claims data are a valid tool when studying the safety of COPD therapies that could potentially lead to increased pneumonia susceptibility or severity

A real-world analysis of glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes treated with canagliflozin versus dapagliflozin

<p><b>Objective:</b> This US retrospective cohort study compared the real-world effectiveness of canagliflozin 300 mg versus dapagliflozin 10 mg on HbA1c reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Patients initiated on canagliflozin 300 mg or dapagliflozin 10 mg were identified from de-identified claims data in the Optum Clinformatics database (1 January 2014–30 September 2016). Propensity score matching was used to create balanced cohorts. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with HbA1c <8.0% (HEDIS target); secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients with HbA1c <7.0% (ADA target) and >9.0% (HEDIS poor control), absolute change in HbA1c, and treatment patterns.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> At 6 months post-index (intent-to-treat population), a significantly higher proportion of patients in the canagliflozin 300 mg versus dapagliflozin 10 mg cohort achieved HbA1c <8.0% (70.8% vs. 59.1%; OR [95% CI]: 1.60 [1.26, 2.04]; <i>p</i> = .0001) and HbA1c <7.0% (36.7% vs. 25.1%; OR [95% CI]: 1.75 [1.34, 2.27]; <i>p</i> < .0001). A similar proportion of patients had HbA1c >9.0%. Mean HbA1c reduction was −1.17% with canagliflozin 300 mg and −0.91% with dapagliflozin 10 mg (difference of −0.26%; <i>p</i> = .0049). HbA1c results from a sensitivity analysis in the on-treatment population were consistent with the primary analysis. Patients in the canagliflozin 300 mg versus dapagliflozin 10 mg cohort were less likely to discontinue treatment (OR [95% CI]: 0.75 [0.57, 0.99]; <i>p</i> = .0400) or switch medication (OR [95% CI]: 0.72 [0.54, 0.96]; <i>p</i> = .0229).</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> In this real-world study, patients with T2DM initiated on canagliflozin 300 mg had better HbA1c goal attainment and larger HbA1c reduction than patients initiated on dapagliflozin 10 mg.</p

Long-term cardiovascular risk and costs for myocardial infarction survivors in a US commercially insured population

<p><b>Objective</b> To quantify clinical and cost long-term outcomes in cardiovascular stable post-myocardial-infarction patients.</p> <p><b>Research design and methods</b> Subjects with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) who were 50–64 years old and MI- and stroke-free for ≥12 months (index date) were identified in a large US claims database. Individuals were followed for up to 5 years (mean: 2.0 years) after their index date.</p> <p><b>Main outcome measures</b> Rates of MI, stroke, all-cause death, and a composite of these were analyzed via Cox regression models, adjusted for covariates. Results are reported for the overall population and the subgroups of those with type 2 diabetes, additional prior MI, and non-end-stage renal disease. As a secondary endpoint healthcare costs were evaluated at baseline and during each year of follow-up.</p> <p><b>Results</b> Over the follow-up period, which averaged 2 years, 7.6% of all 13,492 subjects (10.5% vs. 5.4% with and without the selected risk factors, respectively) experienced at least one of the outcome events. The cumulative incidence rates over the entire follow-up period for the primary composite outcome were 20.8% and 12.2% for those with and without the selected atherothrombotic risk factors, respectively. The cardiovascular-related per-person-per-year healthcare costs during follow-up were higher in those with ≥1 additional risk factor compared to those without: $15,247 versus$7521. Costs were elevated over baseline costs throughout follow-up.</p> <p><b>Limitations</b> Administrative claims data lack clinical detail. Generalizability of results is limited to the US commercially insured population of a similar age to that included in this study.</p> <p><b>Conclusions</b> High risk MI survivors who have been event free for ≥1 year remained at substantial risk of CV events and had increased healthcare costs for up to 5 years post-MI. These long-term risks have not been previously demonstrated in a working-age US population and suggest an unmet need for continuing secondary prevention long-term post-MI.</p