title: Healthcare resource use and costs of multiple sclerosis patients in Germany before and during fampridine treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often suffer from gait impairment and fampridine is indicated to medically improve walking ability in this population. Patient characteristics, healthcare resource use, and costs of MS patients on fampridine treatment for 12 months in Germany were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective claims database analysis was conducted including MS patients who initiated fampridine treatment (index date) between July 2011 and December 2013. Continuous insurance enrollment during 12 months pre- and post-index date was required, as was at least 1 additional fampridine prescription in the fourth quarter after the index date. Patient characteristics were evaluated and pre- vs post-index MS-related healthcare utilization and costs were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 562 patients were included in this study. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 50.5 (9.8) years and 63% were female. In the treatment period, almost every patient had at least 1 MS-related outpatient visit, 24% were hospitalized due to MS, and 79% utilized MS-specific physical therapy in addition to the fampridine treatment. Total MS-related healthcare costs were significantly higher in the fampridine treatment period than in the period prior to fampridine initiation (€17,392 vs €10,960, P < 0.001). While this difference was driven primarily by prescription costs, MS-related inpatient costs were lower during fampridine treatment (€1,333 vs €1,565, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical therapy is mainly used concomitant to fampridine treatment. While healthcare costs were higher during fampridine treatment compared to the pre-treatment period, inpatient costs were lower. Further research is necessary to better understand the fampridine influence.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinium Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Tjalf
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ziemssen
authors.affiliation: Xcenda GmbH, Lange Laube 31, D-30159, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.affiliation: Xcenda GmbH, Lange Laube 31, D-30159, Hannover, Germany. jennifer.haas@xcenda.de.
authors.forename: Jennifer Scarlet
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Xcenda GmbH, Lange Laube 31, D-30159, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Xcenda LLC, Palm Harbor, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Landsman-Blumberg
authors.affiliation: Biogen GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Ring 6, 85737, Ismaning, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kempel
authors.affiliation: Biogen GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Ring 6, 85737, Ismaning, Germany.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gleißner
authors.affiliation: Biogen GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Ring 6, 85737, Ismaning, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ming-Yi
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015761:4-Aminopyridine
keywords: Claims data; Fampridine; Germany; Multiple sclerosis