Results of a US claims database show erenumab is associated with reduced acute medication use and health care resource utilization.
Erenumab is associated with significantly reduced acute medication use and health care resource utilization (HCRU) among migraineurs in a real-world setting, according to findings published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.
Results of the US claims database study indicate erenumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, significantly reduces the burden of the disease. The treatment was first approved in 2018 and is administered monthly via self-injection of a 70- or 140-mg dose. It works to block the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, which is believed to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of migraine.
An estimated 19% of individuals aged 18 to 54 in the United States suffer from debilitating migraines, placing a substantial economic burden on patients, health systems, and employers.
To evaluate the real-world impact of erenumab among adult migraineurs in the United States, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis using data from Optum’s Clinformatics Data Mart (CMD) database.
De-identified claims data from commercially insured patients and Medicare Advantage members were included in the analysis. All migraineurs were at least 18 years old and had 1 or more prescription filled for erenumab between May 2018 and September 2019. “Patients who received other non-erenumab anti-CGRP biologics during the 12-month pre-index or 6-month post-index period were excluded,” authors noted.
An additional subgroup analysis analyzed a cohort of patients who received onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) during the 12 months before index date. A total of 3171 patients were included in the overall study cohort, of which 720 were eligible for the onabotA subgroup analysis.
Approximately 85% of those in the overall cohort were female with a mean (SD) age of 50.7 (13.6) years. The majority (62.5%) also had chronic migraine, while prominent comorbidities during the 12-month pre-index period included anxiety, cardiovascular disease, depression, insomnia, and constipation.
Analyses revealed:
In the onabotA subgroup, 6 months after the initiation of erenumab, the use of acute medication significantly decreased, patients had significantly lower odds of receiving different types of acute medication vs baseline, and HCRU decreased significantly.
“The personal, economic, and societal burden of migraine can be eased by improving acute care therapy and earlier treatment commencement of effective preventive therapy,” researchers wrote.
As the data was gleaned from a US database of insured individuals, findings may not be generalizable to the overall or international populations. In addition, a prescription listed in the database does not necessarily guarantee patients took the prescription.
“A significant reduction of 25% on the composite endpoint of the outpatient visits with an acute medication claim and migraine-specific [emergency department] or inpatient visits shows the overall benefit of erenumab in the real-world,” authors concluded.
Reference
Tepper SJ, Fang J, Vo P, et al. Impact of erenumab on acute medication usage and health care resource utilization among migraine patients: a US claims database study. J Headache Pain. Published online April 19, 2021. doi:10.1186/s10194-021-01238-2
Dr Dalia Rotstein: Physicians Must Be Aware MS Affects People of All Backgrounds
April 24th 2024Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, emphazises the importance of awareness that multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts patients from various backgrounds as clinicians think through ways to improve access to care and research efforts in MS.
Read More
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Polatuzumab Vedotin and R-CHP Appropriate for Untreated DLBCL
April 24th 2024Population pharmacokinetic and exposure-response analyses revealed a favorable benefit-risk profilane for the treatment combination of polatuzumab vedotin and rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (R-CHP).
Read More
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
Listen
Award-Winning Poster Presentations From AMCP 2024
April 23rd 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, multiple poster presentations concerned with health equity, data collection, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, and more were acknowledged for their originality, relevance, clarity, bias, and quality.
Read More