Treatment patterns in pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis in Germany—a nationwide claim-based analysis

Abstract

Background: The manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood and adolescence occurs in 3%−5% of all MS cases. However, the immunomodulatory and symptomatic treatment options in this population group are still limited. Objective: We aimed to elucidate the prescription frequency of medications used in pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) compared with the general population, considering the entire spectrum of medications prescribed. Methods: Based on nationwide outpatient drug prescription data and statutory health insurance (SHI) physicians’ claims data from 2018, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Germany. Children and adolescents aged ⩽17 years ( n = 11,381,939) diagnosed with MS ( n = 613), and a matched (age, sex, and health insurance sector) control group ( n = 6130) were included. The prescription prevalence was measured as the proportion of MS patients with ⩾1 prescription. Results: Of the 613 pediatric PwMS with a median age of 16 years, 403 (65.7%) were female. For 15 out of the 18 different active agents analyzed, PwMS had a significantly higher prescription prevalence than the control group (Fisher’s exact test: p ⩽ 0.037). The most frequently prescribed drugs in PwMS were ibuprofen (28.4%; anti-inflammatory drug), cholecalciferol (23.0%; vitamin D3), and interferon beta-1a (21.5%; disease-modifying drug, DMD). The proportions of DMD prescriptions and antibiotic prescriptions were higher among PwMS aged 15–17 years than among those ⩽14 years (DMD: 43.4% vs 34.2%, p = 0.05; antibiotic: 34.1% vs 24.8%, p = 0.031). In contrast, younger PwMS were more likely to receive a prescription for anti-inflammatory/anti-rheumatic drugs (36.6% vs 26.5%, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Our study analyzing real-world medication data showed that interferon beta, anti-inflammatory drugs, and vitamins play an essential role in the treatment of pediatric PwMS. Future research should evaluate longitudinal treatment patterns of pediatric PwMS, paying particular attention to the time of diagnosis, time of first DMD initiation, and therapy switches.