Medication costs harm patients with multiple sclerosis

2020 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000927
Author(s):  
Marc R. Nuwer ◽  
Kevin Patel
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Cost Burden ◽  
Part D ◽  
Pharmaceutical Price ◽  
Patient Cost ◽  
Coverage Gap ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Price Increases ◽  
Medication Costs ◽  
Disease Modifying

Governmental policies aimed to reduce costs to patients of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease modifying therapy (DMT). Closing the Part D coverage gap intended just that—to reduce patient cost burden. Hartung et al.1 found this policy ineffective. Simultaneous pharmaceutical price increases offset reductions in patients' personal costs.

scholarly journals PND51 THE EFFECT OF THE MEDICARE PART D COVERAGE GAP AND OUT-OF-POCKET BURDEN ON THE USE OF DISEASE MODIFYING DRUGS TO TREAT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. A211 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.F.I. Banahan ◽  
M. Datar ◽  
C.M. Mendonca ◽  
Z. Shahpurwala ◽  
J.P. Bentley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Medicare Part D ◽  
Medicare Part ◽  
Part D ◽  
Disease Modifying Drugs ◽  
Coverage Gap ◽  
Disease Modifying

scholarly journals Health economics of disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175628642098703
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Hartung
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Price Increases ◽  
Significant Disability ◽  
Disease Modifying

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is chronic neuroinflammatory condition associated with significant disability. The economic burden of MS is substantial, and high and rising disease-modifying therapy (DMT) prices are the single largest drivers of healthcare expenditures. Over much of the last decade, price increases for most DMTs have surpassed 10% annually. Currently, many MS DMTs exceed US$90,000 a year and their economic value is widely debated. In addition to creating a financial burden for the healthcare system, high DMT costs negatively impact patients through unaffordable out-of-pocket costs and excessive restrictions by insurance companies. The objective of this narrative review is to summarize economic issues related to MS DMTs, including trends in pricing, relative value, and effects on patient care in the United States.

scholarly journals Examining the effects of comorbidities on disease-modifying therapy use in multiple sclerosis

Neurology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (14) ◽  
pp. 1287-1295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
Helen Tremlett ◽  
Stella Leung ◽  
Feng Zhu ◽  
Elaine Kingwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Disease Modifying

Adherence of Adolescents to Multiple Sclerosis Disease-Modifying Therapy

2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Thannhauser ◽  
Jean K. Mah ◽  
Luanne M. Metz
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Disease ◽  
Disease Modifying

scholarly journals Stopping Disease-Modifying Therapy in Nonrelapsing Multiple Sclerosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Birnbaum
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Acute Disease ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Secondary Progressive ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Group A ◽  
Multiple Variables ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
Group B

Background: Current disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are of benefit only in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS). Thus, safely stopping DMTs in people with secondary progressive MS may be possible. Methods: Two groups of patients with MS were studied. Group A consisted of 77 patients with secondary progressive MS and no evidence of acute central nervous system inflammation for 2 to 20 years. These patients were advised to stop DMTs. Group B consisted of 17 individuals with RMS who stopped DMTs on their own. Both groups were evaluated at treatment cessation and for a minimum of 1 year thereafter. Multiple variables were assessed to determine those that predicted recurrent acute disease. Results: Nine patients in group A (11.7%) and ten patients in group B (58.8%) had recurrent acute disease, almost always within 1 to 2 years of stopping treatment. The only variable of significance in group A distinguishing stable and relapsing patients was age (P = .0003), with relapsing patients being younger. Group B patients were younger and had significantly lower Expanded Disability Status Scale scores than group A, with no significant differences in age between relapsed and stable patients. Conclusions: The DMTs can be stopped safely in older patients with MS (≥7 decades) with no evidence of acute disease for 2 years or longer, with an almost 90% probability of remaining free of acute recurrence. The high proportion of untreated patients with RMS experiencing recurrent acute disease is consistent with published data.

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