OBJECTIVES: Indicated for treatment of adults with bipolar I disorder (BP1), schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD), AS is a drug-device system comprised of aripiprazole tablets embedded with an Ingestible Event Marker tracking drug ingestion, mood, rest and physical activity. This study compares healthcare expenditures in patients prescribed AS versus a matched ari only cohort.

METHODS: This retrospective study included patients prescribed AS or ari between 01-Jun-2018 and 31-Nov-2020 (first Rx date was the index date [ID]). Eligible AS patients were at least 18 years of age on ID, linked to IQVIA claims database, had ≥1 pharmacy claim during the 3-months pre- and post-ID periods and had a primary diagnosis of BP1, MDD, or SCZ. Up to 10 ari patients were matched to each AS patient. Medical charges and pharmacy costs were assessed pre- and post-ID.

RESULTS: Overall 54 patients had a Rx for AS and met study criteria; 531 patients with ari were included as matched controls. Roughly half of AS and ari patients were aged 18-35; 56% were female. Post ID, all-cause medical charges doubled in AS patients, while decreasing by 24% in ari patients (p-value=0.3; standardized mean difference [stdiff]=0.2). The increase in medical charges in AS patients was driven by all-cause outpatient visits. Psychiatry-related medical charges decreased by 70% post-ID in AS patients and by 22% in ari patients (p-value=0.6; stdiff=0.1). Pharmacy costs slightly increased post-ID in AS patients and decreased in ari patients (p-value=0.2; stdiff=0.2); increases in pharmacy costs were driven by psychiatric medications.

CONCLUSION: This study provides RW evidence showing that AS may have clinical benefit resulting in decreased psychiatric medical charges. Increased all-cause medical charges in AS patients may be an indication of increased monitoring/awareness in these patients. Additional studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are warranted.