Hepatocellular carcinoma after prior sorafenib treatment: incidence, healthcare utilisation and costs from German statutory health insurance claims data

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Impact Analyses of Selective Internal Radiation Therapy versus Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab from a German Statutory Health Insurance Perspective

Purpose

To compare personalized dosimetry with yttrium-90 (90Y)-loaded glass microspheres (SIRT) vs atezolizumab and bevacizumab (A+B) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment in terms of cost-effectiveness and budget impact from a German statutory health insurance (SHI) perspective.

Patients and Methods

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and budget impact analysis (BIA) models were developed in MS Excel. The available key studies (IMbrave150 and DOSISPHERE-01) suggest that both strategies are comparable in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival in HCC, but a difference in severe adverse events (SAE) in favor of SIRT was observed. Accordingly, the CEA model investigates the endpoints "cost per SAE avoided" and "cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained", whereas the BIA simulates the impact of a stepwise re-allocation of current market share to the option which emerges as more cost-effective from the CEA.

Results

The model suite estimated a mean annual total per-patient costs of € 29,984 for SIRT, compared to € 75,725 for A+B. SIRT was associated with a lower number of SAE and a higher number of QALYs compared to A+B. Switching additionally 25% of the eligible patients (≈500) from systemic therapy to SIRT could generate annual savings of approximately € 22.6 million Euros to the SHI.

Conclusion

SIRT was identified as dominant treatment strategy. SIRT use not only saves SHI expenditure compared to systemic immunotherapy but also yields extra QALYs. This positions SIRT as the dominant and more cost-effective treatment strategy for patients with HCC. The savings to the SHI system, derived from the BIA conducted, become increasingly significant with rising adoption rates of SIRT.

Multiple sclerosis by phenotype in Germany

BACKGROUND

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be categorized based on its disease course into the following phenotypes: relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS), and secondary progressive MS (SPMS). With one exception, studies of MS by phenotype either provide only prevalence data or if describing drug utilization, the emphasis is on patients with RRMS; while drug utilization by phenotype tends to be examined over the course of a year. No recent studies have comprehensively evaluated MS phenotypes by prevalence, drug utilization, and comorbidities over time from a population-based perspective, which is essential for understanding the disease burden and identifying unmet needs in MS. Germany is one of the few countries where specific MS phenotypes are commonly recorded in routine clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare MS phenotypes with respect to changes in their population-based prevalence rates and the types of MS treatments prescribed over time, as well as the frequency of clinical conditions associated with MS based on data from a German health insurance database.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational, cohort study used data from a German health insurance database for the period 2010 to 2017. Patients aged 18+ years with a specified phenotype of MS based on ICD-10 diagnosis coding were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

In 2010, RRMS was reported in 73%, PPMS in 8%, and SPMS in 19% of patients with MS with a known phenotype. The mean ages of patients were 41.4, 53.6, and 52.8 years, respectively, and all phenotypes were associated with a female predominance (69%, 63% and 63%, respectively). The prevalence rate of each phenotype markedly increased during the study period (RRMS +113%, PPMS +40%, SPMS +54%; in 2017 the rates were 183, 14, and 34 per 100,000, respectively). The mean age of patients reporting each phenotype also increased (p<0.01), while the female:male proportion remained stable in RRMS and SPMS, the proportion of females significantly declined over time in the PPMS group. The overall percentage of patients prescribed a disease-modifying drug increased across the phenotypes from 51% to 57%. Prescription of interferon-based therapies declined in each phenotype, with the greatest declines observed in RRMS and PPMS. The PPMS and SPMS groups had significantly more prescriptions for symptom management than the RRMS group. Depression was the most prevalent clinical condition associated with each phenotype. There was a significant difference in the percentage of patients with depression across the phenotypes (p = 0.03), with the highest among SPMS (44%) compared with RRMS (35%) or PPMS (37%). Significant differences (p<0.05) across the phenotypes were also observed for the composite prevalence of cardiovascular conditions (highest in PPMS) and cognitive dysfunction (highest in SPMS).

CONCLUSION

The increasing numbers of patients across each MS phenotype, aging population in patients with MS regardless of phenotype, gender differences and variations across the types of treatments prescribed, and clinical conditions associated with each MS phenotype present new insight into the disease burden and treatment strategies of MS. These should be considered when developing healthcare strategies and optimizing care for patients with MS.

Efficacy and Safety of Second-line Treatments in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Sorafenib Failure: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In the last decade, several second-line therapies followed by sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported. But the outcomes were different from each other. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the second-line therapies followed by sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC.

METHODS

Embase (1974 to October 2019) and Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to October 2019) were searched for randomized clinical trials on second-line therapies followed by sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC. The quality of each study was assessed by the modified Jadad scale. Statistical analysis was carried out by RevMan5.3 software. Efficacy and safety were analyzed. Efficacy included overall survival (OS), disease control rate, time to progression, and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

Eight studies involving 3,173 patients were eligible. No difference in OS was found between the second-line treatment group and the control group (HR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.74-1.01, p=0.06). Disease control rate (relative risk (RR)=1.36, 95% CI: 1.16-1.60, p=0.0002), time to progression (HR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.51-0.81, p=0.0002) and progression-free survival (HR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.46-0.77, p<0.0001) were significantly improved by the second-line therapies. There was a slight difference in adverse events of any grade (RR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.00-1.14, p=0.03) between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These second-line therapies followed by sorafenib may potentially improve the prognosis in patients with advanced HCC. Compared with other second-line therapies, regorafenib seemed to be more effective.

Time to Treatment Discontinuation in German Patients with Schizophrenia: Long-Acting Injectables versus Oral Antipsychotics

Background and Objective

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are associated with better treatment adherence and persistence than oral antipsychotics (OAPs) in patients with schizophrenia. However, real-world evidence assessing the impact of treatment with LAIs in Germany is limited. To fill this gap, we compared antipsychotic medication adherence and risk of treatment discontinuation (TD) among schizophrenia patients newly initiated on LAI or who switched their OAP regimen (overall cohort; OC).

Methods

Claims data of German schizophrenia patients who initiated LAIs or switched their OAP during 2012–2016 (index date) were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment switch was defined as add-on medication to existing prescription or terminating the existing prescription and initiating another OAP. Adherence and time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) were estimated. Determinants of treatment discontinuation were analyzed using two Cox regression models. Model 1 controlled for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI); model 2 also included insurance status, and medication, visit, and psychiatric inpatient stay costs. Sensitivity analysis on patients who terminated existing prescriptions and initiated new OAPs (complete switch cohort; CSC) was performed.

Results

In OC (n = 2650), LAI users had better adherence (35.4% vs. 11.6%), persistence (no 60-day gap; 40.7% vs. 19.8%), and longer TTD (median [95% confidence interval (CI)] 216 [193–249] vs. 50 [46–56] days) than OAP users. OAP usage (hazard ratio [HR] 1.89, 95% CI 1.73–2.06; p < 0.001) and greater CCI (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.07; p = 0.023) were associated with greater risk of TD in model 1. Model 2 showed similar results. LAI users in CSC also had better adherence, persistence, and longer TTD. In CSC too, OAP usage and greater CCI were associated with greater risk of TD in model 1, but only CCI was significant in model 2. Higher pre-index psychiatric inpatient costs were associated with lower risk of TD (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00; p = 0.014).

Limitations

Inherent limitations of claims data and lack of control on OAP administration may have influenced the results.

Conclusion

This real-world study associates LAIs with better medication adherence and lower antipsychotic discontinuation risk than OAPs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40261-020-00990-8.

Hospitalization Rates and Therapy Costs of German Schizophrenia Patients Who are Initiated on Long-Acting Injectable Medication: A Mirror-Image Study

BACKGROUND

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can reduce relapse, hospitalization, and costs in patients with schizophrenia. However, real-world evidence assessing the impact of treatment with LAIs in Germany is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To provide updated evidence on the impact of LAI initiation on hospitalization rates and therapy costs.

METHODS

Using a mirror-image design, claims data of 850 German patients with schizophrenia who initiated treatment with LAIs during 2013-2015 was retrospectively analyzed. For the included patients, costs and resource utilization were compared for the 12 months before the index date (first initiation of LAI) and the 12 months after the index date. Annual treatment costs, hospitalization rates, ambulatory visits, sick leaves and medical aids were assessed. Two models were used to evaluate hospitalization and its costs. In model 1, hospitalization during the index date (first LAI prescription in 2013-2015) was allocated to the "pre-" time interval, while in model 2 it was neither attributed to the pre- nor to the post-index date. Regression analysis was performed to identify patients who benefited the most in terms of cost reduction from LAI initiation.

RESULTS

Medication costs were significantly higher post-switching to LAI compared with pre-switching period (€3832 vs €799; p < 0.001). In model 1, number of hospitalizations, days hospitalized, and associated costs were significantly lower post-switching compared with pre-switching (2.3 vs 2.6; 59.2 vs 73.4; and €5355 vs €11,908, respectively; all p < 0.001). Similar results were obtained for costs in model 2 (€5355 vs €10,276; p < 0.001). Mean total costs reduced significantly from pre-switching to post-switching period in model 1 (€13,776 vs €10,418; p < 0.001). Patients with characteristics such as higher number of non-psychiatric and psychiatric inpatient stays during the pre-index period (all p < 0.05) benefited the most from cost reduction after LAI initiation.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of German patients with schizophrenia, treatment initiation with LAI resulted in reduced hospitalization rates and total costs.