April 27, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Kesimpta Now Reimbursable for Patients in 2 Canadian Provinces Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is now accessible to eligible Canadians with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) through public drug plans in Ontario and Quebec. The treatment has been included as an exceptional medication under both the Ontario Drug Benefit Exceptional Access Program and the RĆ©gie de lāassurance maladie du QuĆ©bec. This…
December 16, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Little Evidence Acthar Gel Better Than Cheaper Substitutes: Review There is minimal evidence that the expensive anti-inflammatory medication Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) is more effective than inexpensive corticosteroids for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, according to a new review paper. “We found no evidence where it was a conclusive slam dunk that…
October 18, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Economic Burden of MS in US Exceeded $85B in 2019 Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ here to see the latest stories from the conference. The total economic…
March 15, 2021 News by Vanda Pinto, PhD 47% Rise Seen in US Medicare Payments for MS and Like Therapies, 2013-17 The cost of medications for multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā and other neurologic disorders saw a sharp rise between 2013 and 2017 in the U.S., a study of Medicare prescription claims shows. Analysis of Medicare payments during these five years revealed that the cost of neuroimmunology therapies, mostly for MS, increased by…
May 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Glatopa Shows Efficacy Similar to Copaxone, Study in Real-world Use Finds Glatopa, a generic form ofĀ Copaxone, is as effective as the brand-name medication in terms of disease outcomes and has similar healthcare-related costs in real-world use in patients with relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a new U.S. study suggests. Data also suggest a trend toward lower relapse rates with Glatopa…
October 4, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Is Rituximab a Reasonable Option for MS Patients? No, Researcher Says Editorās note: This is the third story in a three-part report examining the question, āIs rituximab a reasonable alternative treatment for MS?ā, which was a topic discussed at this yearās Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). Here, we take an in-depth look…
March 28, 2019 News by Larry Luxner MS Patient Groups React Favorably to Mayzent Approval, But Question Therapyās Price Tag National organizations that represent patients with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) welcome the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s March 26 approvalĀ of Novartis’Ā oral therapy MayzentĀ (siponimod) ā but they complain that, at $88,500 per year, the treatment is overpriced. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of AmericaĀ (MSSA) is clearly upbeat about the…
March 20, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD SPMS Treatment With Mayzent Better Than Best Supportive Care, ICER Report Says Treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients with the investigational oral therapy Mayzent (siponimod) significantly reduced the risk of disability progression and decreased inflammation, compared to best supportive care, according to aĀ preliminary draft evidence reportĀ from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). The report…
February 13, 2019 News by Santiago Gisler Almost 1 in 5 People Wrongly Diagnosed with MS at Two Specialized Centers in US, Study Finds Almost one in five patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and referred to one of two MS-specialized centers in the U.S. were found to not have the disease, a study at those two centers reported. Migraine was the most common correct diagnosis eventually given these people. The retrospective study…
February 8, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Medicare Rules, Higher Cost-sharing Load Increase Out-of-pocket Spending for MS Therapies, Study Reports Restrictive access policies by Medicare and a rising cost-sharing burden lead to an increased price of disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis patients, according to new research. The findings also revealed that Medicare beneficiaries without a low-income subsidy may spend on average $6,894 for their MS treatments in 2019, with generic versions of Copaxone representing the highest burden. Approximately 25-30% of patients with MS are covered by Medicare through disability. In 2013, MS Medicare beneficiaries with MS and without low-income subsidies averaged $4,389 a year in out-of-pocket expenses, second only to hepatitis. Despite a greater number and diversity of DMTs for MS treatment, their price has increased substantially over the past two decades. In fact, expenses related to DMTs for MS are among the highest by class in the Medicare market. āItās a dysfunctional market that lacks the typical incentives for most other consumer prices,ā Daniel Hartung, the studyās lead author, said in anĀ Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) press release written by Erik Robinson. āAside from the public optics, there are few incentives for companies not to raise prices. Most intermediaries in the drug distribution channel, including drug companies, benefit from higher prices,ā Hartung said. These high prices may lead to reduced access, as insurance companies can restrict coverage or manage use through prior authorization or step-therapy policies, and high deductibles or cost-sharing components in health plans that increase the financial burden for patients. Now, a team at OHSU and theĀ Oregon State University College of Pharmacy used prescription drug plan formulary files to analyze changes in coverage policies from 2007 to 2016, and to estimate out-of-pocket spending for DMTs for MS within Medicare Part D program, through which outpatient prescriptions are financed. Eleven DMTs available during the study period were analyzed. Tysabri and Lemtrada were not part of the analysis because they are delivered via intravenous infusion in the clinic setting, and are typically covered through Medicare Part B. Results revealed that the price for Betaseron , Copaxone 20 mg , Rebif, and Avonex ā the four therapies available in 2007 ā quadrupled over the 10-year study period. Except for Copaxone 40 mg and its 20 mg generic formulation (Glatopa, by Sandoz), prices for the other DMTs introduced after 2007 increased by 9ā13% per year. These include Novartisā Extavia (interferon beta-1b) and Gilenya (fingolimod), Biogenās Plegridy (peginterferon beta-1a) and Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate), and Sanofi Genzymeās Aubagio (teriflunomide). In 2007, 99-100% of plans covered the four available medications, with the exceptions being Rebif (88%). These percentages fell to 54-89% in 2016. Coverage of the other DMTs varied between 21% (Extavia) to 92% for Copaxone 40 mg. In turn, coverage for the three oral options ā Gilenya, Aubagio and Tecfidera ā generally increased or was maintained over time, ranging from 46% for Aubagio to 83% for Gilenya. The use of prior authorization increased from 61-66% in 2007, to 84-90% in 2016. Also, the share of plans with at least one DMT available without limitations declined from 39% to 17%. The average projected out-of-pocket spending for 2019 across DMTs was $6,894. The highest projected out-of-pocket expenses ($8,219) are associated with generic glatiramer acetate, both Glatopa and Mylanās 20 mg/mL and 40 mg/mL generic formulations, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017. This is more than with any of Copaxoneās formulations. According to the team, this is the result of a higher coinsurance payment (37% vs. 25%) expected for generic medications compared to brand-name options, as well as the fact that manufacturers of generics do not provide discounts toward a beneficiaryās total out-of-pocket spending, unlike what is mandated by the Affordable Care Act for brand-name therapies. āThis is a pernicious effect of the release of a generic and an unfortunate effect of Medicare rules,ā Dennis Bourdette, MD, one of the studyās co-authors, said. A proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration addresses this by eliminating manufacturer discounts from the calculation to determine a patientās total out-of-pocket spending. Such strategy would reduce the disparity between brand-name and generic therapies, the researchers said. āIn this study we found that Medicare beneficiaries with MS who require a [DMT] face considerable policy-related access restrictions and high out-of-pocket spending,ā the researchers wrote. āThere is an urgent need for policies that slow the growth of drug prices, improve access, and shield patients from excessively high out-of-pocket spending,ā they concluded.
February 1, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Why Aren’t You Using an MS Medication? I see a lot of answers to the question about why people stop, or refuse to start, an MS medication. “Thinking of stopping the…meds. Sick of the shots and how they hurt to take them” “I stopped all of them….all multiple times. It…
November 19, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD MS Therapy Fampyra Again Not Recommended for Use in Scottish National Health System The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued a negative recommendation on the use of Fampyra (fampridine; marketed as Ampyra in the U.S.) in the National Health System (NHS), for the…
October 27, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 ā Quitting Smoking, Boosting Vitamin D Reduces MS Healthcare Costs, Improves Outcomes People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who quit smoking have better health outcomes than those who continue. Therefore, MS-relatedĀ costs can be reduced by encouraging smokers toĀ quit. Similar results were observed in MS patients with healthy vitamin D levels,Ā Maura Pugliatti,Ā from theĀ University of Ferrara, in Italy,Ā said Friday in a presentation at the…
September 14, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ocrevus Less Expensive, More Efficient than Interferon, Analysis Reveals Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is a less expensive treatment option for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) than subcutaneous interferon beta-1a (Rebif) in the long-run, according to a cost-effectiveness analysis published in the Journal of Medical Economics. In addition to lower total costs over a 20-year period, the analysis suggested that Ocrevus…
May 5, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Burden of Multiple Sclerosis Relapses Is Underappreciated, Study Says The burden of moderate-to-severe relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is underappreciated, according to a study sponsored by the pharmaceutical companyĀ Mallinckrodt. Researchers discussed the findings at the American Academy of Neurology’s 69th annual meeting in Boston, April 22-28. The title of the presentation was āThe Economic Burden Of…
May 4, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Acthar Gel an Effective Treatment for MS Relapses at Lower Cost, Company Reports Clinical results presented at the recentĀ Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)‘s 2016 annual meetingĀ in San Francisco showed that the use of H.P. Acthar Gel during multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses is associated with beneficial outcomes.Ā The gel, according to its producer,Ā is also available at a lower price than other frequently used…