OBJECTIVES

Patients with Severe Eosinophilic Asthma (SEA) represent only 5-10% of the population with asthma but their healthcare resource use (HRU) represents the largest proportion of asthma expenditures. Understanding the patterns of HRU after initiation of mepolizumab, in real-life settings, is very relevant to inform healthcare systems resource allocation.

METHODS

REALITI-A, a multicenter, international, prospective study, enrolled patients with SEA, who initiated mepolizumab. These preliminary analyses include subjects from 51 centers in 7 countries. 12-month of relevant historical data was required before enrolment for all participants to allow for a standardized period of history to describe participant’s demographics, disease burden and previous medication use. Specific HRU was compared with a 12-month prospective observation period for each patient. Changes in annual rates from baseline in each health resource category were evaluated. Changes in medication use is reported elsewhere.

RESULTS

Preliminary data were available for 368 treated subjects who completed 12 months of follow-up. 19% of subjects discontinued mepolizumab within 1-year. Annualized rates of asthma-related hospitalizations, emergency room visits, planned and unplanned office or clinic visits, and home visits were reduced after the initiation of mepolizumab. On average, rates of asthma-related hospitalizations were reduced by 55.8% (0.52, 95% CI [0.41, 0.67] vs. 0.23, 95% CI [0.16, 0.33]) emergency visits by 55.7% (0.61 [0.45, 0.81] vs. 0.27 [0.20, 0.36]); planned and unplanned office visits by 52.2% (4.92 [4.46, 5.44] vs. 2.35, [1.97, 2.79] ). The annual rate on the use of telephone calls to providers (0.90, [0.71, 1.14] vs. 1.13, [0.54, 2.34]) or home visits (0.12, [0.06, 0.25] vs 0.10, [0.02, 0.44]) was similar before and after mepolizumab.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of mepolizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma, in real-world settings, resulted in substantial reductions in healthcare resource use, particularly hospitalizations, emergency and office visits. Funding: GSK (204710)