To optimize use of biologics for asthma, greater attention should be paid to adherence, according to an abstract prepared and published for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2020 Annual Meeting.
While current international asthma guidelines suggest a trial of asthma biologics for at least 4 months, little is known about persistence of asthma biologic use in clinical practice.
A recent abstract prepared and published for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2020 Annual Meeting analyzed a cohort of individuals with asthma who used at least 1 asthma biologic.
The researchers used data from 2003-2018 in the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, which includes individuals with commercial and Medicare insurance. Asthma exacerbations were defined as an asthma diagnosis associated with an emergency department visit or hospitalization, or filling a systemic corticosteroid prescription.
Of the 7977 individuals who used asthma biologics, 4659 (58%) had continuous insurance coverage (and thus complete data) for 12 months after starting.
Of individuals with 12 months of continuous coverage, 3123 (67%) continued the asthma biologic for 6 months or longer. Of the 3123 who continued for 6 months, 640 (20%) had a 50% or more reduction in asthma exacerbations in the first 6 months of use compared to the 6 months before starting.
Of the 2483 individuals who failed to achieve a 50% reduction in asthma exacerbations in the first 6 months of treatment, 1640 (66%) continued the asthma biologic for 12 or more months.
The results demonstrate that many patients continue an asthma biologic for 12 months or more without having a 50% or greater reduction in asthma exacerbations during first 6 months of treatment.
In addition, more than 30% of patients fail to complete a 6-month treatment period with an asthma biologic.
Providers should pay attention to the persistence of use of biologics and the timing of discontinuation in order to optimize use, according to the conclusion.
Biologics for severe asthma include reslizumab, mepolizumab, dupilumab, omalizumab, and benralizumab.
Severe asthma is typically defined as asthma that requires either oral corticosteroids for more than half of the year or the combination of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and a long-acting β agonist or other controller medication (leukotriene inhibitor/theophylline) to maintain control. Uncontrolled asthma is defined by frequent exacerbations, serious exacerbations, and/or airflow limitation.
Looking Back on ISPOR 2024: Hot Policy Topics, Welcome Focus on Employers, and More
May 10th 2024Kimberly Westrich, MA, chief strategy officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, reflects on the most valuable learnings from the 2024 meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, including lively discussions of the Inflation Reduction Act and workshops on value assessment.
Read More
The Importance of Examining and Preventing Atrial Fibrillation
August 29th 2023At this year’s American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress on CVD Prevention, Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, delivered the Honorary Fellow Award Lecture, “The Imperative to Focus on the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation,” as the recipient of this year’s Honorary Fellow of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology award.
Listen
Posters Characterize DMD Caregiver Experiences, Impact of Gene Therapy on Caregiving Demands
May 10th 2024Posters presented at the ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research meeting explored Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caregiver experiences and gene therapy’s impact on work opportunities for caregivers.
Read More
Promoting Equity in Public Health: Policy, Investment, and Community Engagement Solutions
June 28th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association, on the core takeaways of his keynote session at AHIP 2022 on public health policy and other solutions to promote equitable health and well-being.
Listen
Budesonide-Based Triple Therapy Shows Best Benefit Over Dual Therapy for COPD
May 8th 2024The triple therapy of budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate showed the greatest incremental net benefit among a series of triple therapy medications that were evaluated against dual therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to an analysis presented at ISPOR.
Read More