Market share and costs of biologic therapies for inflammatory bowel disease in the USA

Abstract

Background: Real-world data quantifying the costs of increasing use of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are unknown.

Aim: To determine the outpatient IBD drug utilization trends, relative market share, and costs in the USA during a 9-year period.

Methods: The Truven MarketScan^® Database was analysed for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) during 2007-2015. National drug codes were used to identify prescription drugs; Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System J-codes were used to capture biologic out-patient infusions. Proportion of drug usage, relative market share and per-member per-year (PMPY) costs were analysed for biologics, immunomodulators, 5-ASAs and corticosteroids.

Results: In 415 405 patients (188 842 CD; 195 183 UC; 31 380 indeterminate colitis; 54.67% female), utilization trends show a consistent rise in the market share of biologics during the 9-year study period. The proportion of patients using biologics increased from 21.8% to 43.8% for CD and 5.1%-16.2% for UC. This contrasts a small decrease in immunomodulator and 5-ASA use for CD and relative constancy of other classes including corticosteroids-only use as primary IBD medication from 2007 to 2015. The average biologic-taking patient accounted for $25 275 PMPY in 2007 and $36 051 PMPY in 2015. The average paediatric biologic-taking patient accounted for $23 616 PMPY in 2007 and $41 109 PMPY in 2015. In all patients, the share of costs for biologics increased from 72.9% in 2007 to 85.7% in 2015 (81.7% in 2007 to 94.9% in 2015 in paediatrics).

Conclusion: The vast majority of costs allocated to out-patient IBD medications in the USA is attributed to increasing use of biologic therapies despite the relative minority of biologic-taking patients.