In a study presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2021 meeting, researchers calculated the wasted spend associated with non-responsiveness to biologic use in psoriasis treatment, as well as the potential cost savings of using precision medicine testing of biologics in this patient population.
The investigators cross-referenced published costs of the most widely prescribed biologics with recently published efficacy rates. According to the researchers, these rates demonstrated decreased efficacy relative to the approved labels. The wasted spend from patients who were non-responsive to a biologic was then spread over the remaining responsive patient population per biologic, representing wasted spend per patient for each biologic.
According to the results, biologic use in psoriasis treatment has increased markedly in response to more treatments becoming available on the market. The analysis of available drugs showed significant wasted spend in all cases, particularly given the moderate rates of drug efficacy. Specifically, the study demonstrated that wasted spend was found to average $16,567 per patient per year, with average net savings of $8,492 per patient per year.
The investigators concluded that, “[These savings] demonstrate the potential cost savings that precision medicine testing can provide to ease the economic burden on payers, hospital systems, and patients.”
Source: Wu J, et al. Updated Economic Impact of Failed Biologic Loading Periods for Psoriasis Patients. Poster L20. Presented at AMCP Nexus 2021; Oct. 18-21, 2021, Denver, CO.
Link: https://www.jmcp.org/doi/10.18553/jmcp.2021.27.10-a.s1
