Crohn’s Disease | Treatment Algorithms | Claims Data Analysis | US | 2014
Treatment options for the estimated 700,000 people in the United States, who suffer from Crohn’s disease (CD), include multiple conventional, largely generic small molecules and more-potent biological agents. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) guidelines recommend a step-up treatment paradigm that begins with safer (albeit less efficacious) therapies such as the aminosalicylates, before moving on to more-potent therapies, such as corticosteroids (for acute treatment) and immunosuppressants (for maintenance treatment), and finally the biologics. However, some clinicians also use top-down approach (earlier use of biologics). Using national patient-level claims data, this report analyzes physician adherence to the treatment guidelines by exploring the use of key therapies in the newly diagnosed and recently treated CD patient populations. Among the newly diagnosed patients, the report provides a quantitative analysis of treatment patterns and share by line of therapy, as well as progression between lines, duration of treatment on each line, and use of concomitant treatment. Among recently treated patients, the report quantifies a drug’s source of business compared with its competitors and details which drugs precede others through an analysis of add-versus-switch patterns. Additional analyses explore persistency and compliance by brand.
