THU167 Trends Of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Treatment In Korea: Data From The Health Insurance Review And Assessment Service 2015-2020

Disclosure: J. Kim: None. Y. Rhie: None. Y. Kim: None. H. Lee: None. Y. Lee: None. H. Chae: None. J. Choi: None. S. Chung: None. H. Kim: None. Y. Son: None. S. Han: None. I. Hwang: None. Objectives: Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been used for treating diseases associated with short stature for several decades worldwide and in Korea. The trends in prescribing rhGH in children and adolescents in Korea were evaluated using the nationwide claim data. Methods: Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) between 2015 and 2020 were used. The nationwide claim data on the prescription of rhGH for approved indications were extracted from the HIRA database and analyzed. Off-label use of rhGH was not investigated. Results: The number of all patients treated with rhGH increased from 5,812 in 2015 to 16,248 in 2020. The number of newly treated patients with rhGH was from 1,763 in 2015 to 5,177 in 2020. Among children and adolescents with short stature, those who were prescribed rhGH increased from 1.9% in 2016 to 5.7% in 2020. The overall proportion of the indications for rhGH treatment was 55% for growth hormone deficiency (GHD), 27% for idiopathic short stature (ISS), 13% for small for gestational age (SGA), and 5% for Turner syndrome. From 2015 to 2020, the increment in newly treated patients was highest in GHD, followed by ISS and SGA. In all indications, male to female ratio decreased during the period: 1.52 in 2016 and 1.30 in 2020 for GHD; 1.18 in 2016 and 0.91 in 2020 for ISS; and 1.13 in 2016 and 1.03 in 2020 for SGA. Expenditure for claims to rhGH also increased from 25.9 billion KRW in 2015 to 62.5 billion KRW in 2020. The mean age at the start of rhGH and the mean discontinuation age was 7.8 years (boys 8.0 years and girls 7.7 years) and 12.0 years (boys 12.2 years and girls 11.8 years), respectively. The mean treatment duration was 3.2 years. Conclusion: In Korea, the prescription of rhGH in the pediatric population showed a 2.8-fold increase in number and a 2.4-fold increase in expenditure over 6 years according to nationwide HIRA data. Boys were treated more with rhGH than girls, whereas the discrepancy decreased. Long-term follow-up for prescription patterns, effectiveness and safety in rhGH treatment is required. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023