Patient Preference and Adherence (Oct 2018)

Factors influencing use of biologic therapy and adoption of treat-to-target recommendations in current European rheumatology practice

  • Taylor PC,
  • Alten R,
  • Gomez Reino JJ,
  • Caporali R,
  • Bertin P,
  • Sullivan E,
  • Wood R,
  • Piercy J,
  • Vasilescu R,
  • Spurden D,
  • Alvir J,
  • Tarallo M

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 2007 – 2014

Abstract

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Peter C Taylor,1 Rieke Alten,2 Juan J Gomez Reino,3 Roberto Caporali,4 Philippe Bertin,5 Emma Sullivan,6 Robert Wood,6 James Piercy,6 Radu Vasilescu,7 Dean Spurden,8 Jose Alvir,9 Miriam Tarallo10 1Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; 2Department of Internal Medicine II, Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology, and Osteology, Schlosspark Klinik, University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 3Experimental and Observational Rheumatology and Rheumatology Unit, Fundacion Ramon Dominguez and Rheumatology, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 4Division of Rheumatology, IRCCS Foundation Policlinico S. Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 5Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Dupuytren, Limoges, France; 6Real-World Evidence and Epidemiology, Adelphi Real World, Bollington, UK; 7Medical Affairs, International Developed Markets, Pfizer, Brussels, Belgium; 8Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Pfizer Ltd, Tadworth, UK; 9Statistical Research and Data Science Center, Global Product Development, Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA; 10Patient and Health Impact, Pfizer Italia Srl, Rome, Italy Objective: The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence treatment adjustments and adoption of a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in European practices.Methods: Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Adelphi 2014 RA Disease Specific Programme. Treatment patterns and clinical characteristics were investigated in patients treated with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) vs non-bDMARDs. For the T2T analysis, patients were subdivided into two subsets (RA diagnosis <2 or ≥2 years) and compared according to the approach used (no target = no T2T approach; pragmatic = target different from remission; and aspirational = target set as remission).Results: Data from 2,536 patients were analyzed (mean age: 52.76 years and mean time since RA diagnosis: 6.05 years). Of the 1,438 patients eligible to receive bDMARDs, 55% did not receive them. Initiation of bDMARDs in a bDMARD-naïve patient was prompted by worsening of the disease. In the RA diagnosis <2 years subset, a T2T approach was not adopted in 58% of the patients, whereas 8% and 34% adopted a pragmatic and aspirational approach, respectively. In the RA diagnosis ≥2 years subset, 45%, 19%, and 36% of the patients adopted a no target, pragmatic, and aspirational approach, respectively. Physician satisfaction with RA control was lower in the RA diagnosis <2 years subset than in the RA diagnosis ≥2 years subset (65% vs 77% satisfied, respectively; P<0.0001).Conclusion: This analysis shows that the use of bDMARDs remains suboptimal and that a T2T strategy is not universally adopted. Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, treat-to-target, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

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