title: A Retrospective, Single-Center Comparative Cost Analysis of OnabotulinumtoxinA and AbobotulinumtoxinA for Cervical Dystonia Treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemodenervation with botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is recommended as first-line treatment for the management of cervical dystonia. The choice of BoNT for treatment is subject to the consideration of several factors, including cost.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the costs incurred by patients and payers for onabotulinumtoxinA (ONA) or abobotulinumtoxinA (ABO) for the treatment of cervical dystonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective, noninterventional closed cohort study of cervical dystonia patients within a single U.S. private neurological practice. Patient and payer incurred costs from medical billing records for patients satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria treated from November 1, 2009, through January 1, 2013, were de-identified and included in the analysis. Forty-seven patients initially treated with at least 3 consecutive cycles of ONA, followed by at least 3 consecutive cycles of ABO were included, representing 282 injection cycles available for analysis. Patients were required to have had a positive response to treatment with both agents and no concomitant treatment with BoNT for any other condition during the analysis period. The analysis compared the primary endpoint of median overall payer and patient incurred costs reimbursed to the clinic under each treatment regimen. For the purposes of this cost analysis, comparable clinical outcomes on both therapies was assumed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Switching from ONA to ABO resulted in an overall incurred reimbursement cost savings for payers and patients. Median costs per injection cycle for ONA were $1,925 ($0-$2,814) compared with $1,214 ($229-$2,899; P  less than  0.0001) for ABO, representing an approximate 37% reduction in incurred reimbursement costs inclusive of toxin and procedure. Overall toxin reimbursement costs, patient out-of-pocket toxin costs, and the cost of unavoidable waste were also lower when patients were treated with ABO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients treated for cervical dystonia, switching from ONA to ABO resulted in payer and patient reimbursement cost reductions in a single U.S. private practice with outcomes assumed to be similar.
authors.affiliation: The Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center, 32255 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 40, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. richardtrosch@comcast.net.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Trosch
authors.forename: Alicia C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Shillington
authors.forename: Marci L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchese
mesh_terms: D065087:Acetylcholine Release Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014103:Torticollis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D065087:Acetylcholine Release Inhibitors; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A; C542869:abobotulinumtoxinA