Retrospective Analysis of the Pharmaco-Utilization of VEGF Inhibitors and Health Care Costs among Patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Other Ocular Diseases in Italy

Valentina Perrone, Melania Dovizio, Chiara Veronesi, Rita Citraro, Adele De Francesco, Stefania Dell’Orco, Gianluca Di Manno, Arrigo Paciello, Anna Maria Resta, Fabrizio Quarta, Nicola Ferrante, Daniela Ritrovato and Luca Degli Esposti
Additional contact information
Valentina Perrone: CliCon S.r.l. Società Benefit Health, Economics & Outcomes Research, 40121 Bologna, Italy
Melania Dovizio: CliCon S.r.l. Società Benefit Health, Economics & Outcomes Research, 40121 Bologna, Italy
Chiara Veronesi: CliCon S.r.l. Società Benefit Health, Economics & Outcomes Research, 40121 Bologna, Italy
Rita Citraro: Unita’ Operativa di Farmacologia Clinica e Farmacovigilanza, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “Mater Domini”, Università Magna Grecia di Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Adele De Francesco: Unita’ Operativa di Farmacologia Clinica e Farmacovigilanza, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria “Mater Domini”, Università Magna Grecia di Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Stefania Dell’Orco: Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Roma 6, Albano Laziale, 00100 Rome, Italy
Gianluca Di Manno: Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Roma 6, Albano Laziale, 00100 Rome, Italy
Arrigo Paciello: Agenzia di Tutela della Salute (ATS) Bergamo, 24100 Bergamo, Italy
Anna Maria Resta: Struttura Complessa di Farmacia Territoriale Area Vasta 1, 61032 Fano, Italy
Fabrizio Quarta: U.O. Epidemiologia e Statistica, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) Lecce, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Nicola Ferrante: Novartis Farma S.p.A., Origgio, 21100 Varese, Italy
Daniela Ritrovato: Novartis Farma S.p.A., Origgio, 21100 Varese, Italy
Luca Degli Esposti: CliCon S.r.l. Società Benefit Health, Economics & Outcomes Research, 40121 Bologna, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: This Italian retrospective study aimed to analyze the pharmaco-utilization of anti-VEGF drugs and health care costs among patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) or other ocular diseases. A retrospective analysis was performed on administrative databases of Italian entities covering approximately six million individuals. Across January 2010–December 2017, patients aged ≥50 years with a prescription of intravitreal anti-VEGFs were included as “wAMD” patients [by wAMD hospitalization or intravitreal injections] or as “other ocular diseases” patients [by hospitalization for other ocular disorders or intravitreal injections, with concomitant diabetes diagnosis or dexamethasone treatment]. The date of first matching of inclusion criteria was index-date. wAMD-cohort. Overall, 3879 patients were included; at index-date, 82.2% were treated with Ranibizumab, 15.8% with Aflibercept, and 2% with Pegaptanib. During the follow-up, the mean/annual anti-VEGF prescription [3.6 (first-year)–0.8 (third-year)] and the total expenditure [5799.84 € (first-year)–3212.84 € (third-year)] decreased. Other ocular diseases-cohort. Overall, 2646 patients were enclosed; 85.9% were treated with Ranibizumab, 13.5% with Aflibercept, and 0.6% with Pegaptanib. During the follow-up, the mean/annual anti-VEGF prescription [3.3 (first-year)–0.5 (third-year)] and the total cost [7196.83 € (first-year)–5162.68 € (third-year)] decreased. This observational study highlighted a decline in anti-VEGF prescriptions over time in both cohorts, suggesting a trend of under-treatment that could worsen the patients’ clinical outcomes and increase health care resource consumption.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; anti-VEGF; real-world evidence; pharmaco-utilization; health care costs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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