Similar demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns in German claims study

Despite different administration methods and mechanisms of action, similar annualised relapse rates (ARR) and treatment persistence were observed in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) on disease-modifying therapy (DMT). These were the results of a retrospective study using data from a German real-world insurance claims database.

Glatiramer acetate has been licensed as an injectable treatment for relapsing MS in Europe for over 20 years; follow-on glatiramer acetate received approval in 2016. Various oral DMTs have become available on the European market for the treatment of relapsing MS, including dimethyl fumarate and teriflunomide. However, overall real-world data on treatment patterns and associated health outcomes in patients with relapsing MS using these DMTs are limited.

The retrospective database analysis presented by Prof. Tjalf Ziemssen (University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Germany) evaluated patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns (switching and discontinuation) among relapsing MS patients on abovementioned DMTs [1]. Of 16,283 patients with relapsing MS, 1,577 patients met all inclusion criteria. The group of patients using follow-on glatiramer acetate was too small for further analyses.

While interferons were the most frequently used DMTs in the pre-index period for all groups, patients in the glatiramer acetate cohort had the lowest proportion of interferon use during the pre-index period.

Patients who were prescribed glatiramer acetate and dimethyl fumarate were generally comparable in terms of demographics, overall relapse rate, and treatment persistence. Patients prescribed teriflunomide were numerically older and exhibited more comorbidities, as well as lower pre- and post-treatment overall relapse rate than the glatiramer acetate and DMF cohorts. Despite different administration methods and mechanisms of action, similar overall relapse rates and treatment persistence were observed across all 3 treatment groups.

1. Ziemssen T, et al. Real-world demographics, clinical characteristics and treatment patterns in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients on disease-modifying therapy (encore abstract from ACTRIMS/ECTRIMS). ECF 28^th Annual Meeting. Abstract 24.

Posted on 16 December 202016 December 2020