Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Costs Among Medicare Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Relation to Disease-Modifying Therapy and Corticosteroid Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the increasing age of the multiple sclerosis (MS) patient population, data are lacking on MS patients in later life. This retrospective study investigated treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and healthcare costs (HCCs) for patients enrolled in Medicare, in relation to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) and corticosteroid treatment as a marker for relapse.

METHODS: Medical and pharmacy claims between January 1, 2010 and July 31, 2015 identified MS patients. The anchor date was defined as the most recent MS claim. Analyses were performed on claims in the 12-month baseline period before the anchor date. Outcomes were stratified by DMT use and number (0, 1, or ≥ 2) of corticosteroid treatments.

RESULTS: Among Medicare MS patients (n = 7072; mean age 57 years), 66% received DMT during the baseline period; 31% had 1 claim and 16% had ≥ 2 claims for corticosteroids. Compared with patients not receiving DMT, patients on DMT were less likely to receive corticosteroids (39% vs 62%) and had fewer all-cause hospitalization episodes and ER visits. DMT use was associated with lower HCRU but higher HCCs in patients both with and without corticosteroid treatment. DMT switching rates were low, both among patients with no corticosteroid (5.6%) and patients with 1 (9.3%) or ≥ 2 (11.1%) corticosteroid treatments. DMT switches were most frequently from an injectable to an oral therapy.

CONCLUSION: In Medicare patients with MS, DMT use was associated with higher HCCs but lower HCRU, indicative of better health outcomes; however, low DMT switching rates may be an indicator of possible clinical inertia.

FUNDING: Sanofi. Plain language summary available for this article.