OBJECTIVES:

This analysis aims to compare consultation rates with primary care physicians (PCPs) and other healthcare providers (HCPs); number of hospitalisations in the last 12 months, and time spent in hospital, in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients receiving dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and interferons beta-1a/1b, peginterferon beta-1a or glatiramer acetate (ABCREP).

METHODS:

RRMS patients receiving DMF, or ABCREP therapies for at least 12 months were identified from the Adelphi MS Disease Specific Programme, a global (U.S.A, U.K, Spain, Italy, France and Germany) cross-sectional study of MS patients between 2014 and 2018. Average treatment effects for DMF compared to ABCREP therapies were estimated, after propensity score matching on age, gender, EDSS, and number of prior MS therapies to create balanced treatment groups. Number of consultations with PCPs, and other HCPs (total consults with MS specialists, ER doctors, ophthalmologists, urologists, gastroenterologists, psychiatrists); number of hospitalisations, and days in hospital in the last 12 months were compared.

RESULTS:

Data on consultations with PCPs [ N=3850; N=582 DMF, 3268 ABCREP] and consultations with other HCPs [N=3866; N=582 DMF, 3284 ABCREPS] were available for patients, respectively. DMF patients were reported to have significantly fewer consultations compared to ABCREPs including: PCPs [0.28 vs 0.65, p<0.001] and other HCPs [0.09 vs 0.20, p<0.001]. When comparing DMF vs ABCREPs hospitalisations in the last 12 months results show patients [0.05 [N=500] vs 0.14 [N=2896] p=0.012) were less likely to be hospitalised for relapse (3.60% [N=500] vs 7.69% [N=2885], p=0.005), and spent fewer days in hospital per year (0.23 [N=496] vs 0.65 [N=2892], p=0.012).

CONCLUSIONS:

The data from this study showed that treatment with DMF was associated with significantly reduced hospitalisation and consultation rates. Approximately half the level of those observed in patients treated with ABCREPs. This suggests lower healthcare resource utilisation for DMF compared to ABCREPs used in the treatment of RRMS.