OBJECTIVES

This study compared all-cause and major depressive disorder (MDD)-related hospitalizations, medical, and pharmacy costs in patients with MDD prior to and in the year following initiation of adjunctive atypical antipsychotic (AAP) treatment.

METHODS

Adults (≥18 years) with MDD (≥2 diagnoses records) and prior treatment with antidepressant (ADT) who were newly initiated on adjunctive AAP treatment (brexpiprazole, aripiprazole, quetiapine, or lurasidone) between 10/1/2014 and 9/30/2015 were identified in IQVIA’s PharMetrics Plus Adjudicated Claims database; the index date was the date of the first adjunctive AAP claim during the selection window. All-cause and MDD-related healthcare resource use and costs were compared between the periods of continuous medical and drug coverage, 12 months before (pre-index) and 12 months after index date (post-index).

RESULTS CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with adjunctive AAP in major depressive disorder is associated with reduced healthcare resource use and medical costs, primarily due to the reduction in hospitalizations.