Analysis of Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs after the Initiation of Biologic Treatment in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

BACKGROUND: This retrospective cohort study aimed to describe and quantify healthcare resource utilization and costs for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) following initiation of biologic therapy. METHODS: Resource utilization and costs were analyzed at baseline and 1- and 2-years after initiating a biologic. Data were extracted from a US administrative health insurance claims database for adults ≥18 years. Eligible patients were continuously enrolled in a health plan with medical and pharmacy benefits for ≥12 months prior to, and 12 months (primary analysis) or 24 months (secondary analysis) after index date (biologic initiation). RESULTS: In total, 4864 and 2692 patients with UC, and 8910 and 5227 patients with CD were identified in the 1- and 2-year follow-up cohorts, respectively. Of 1-year follow-up cohort patients, 45% received the same biologic initiated at index for ≥1 year. Infliximab and adalimumab were the most commonly initiated biologics in patients with UC or CD. The highest proportion of patients who continued with the same biologic after 1- and 2-years had initiated therapy with infliximab for both indications (although at the 1-year follow-up for CD, the highest proportion continued to use natalizumab, but this was a small sample [n=15]). Generally, the proportion of patients having inpatient admissions and emergency department (ED) visits decreased after receiving the same biologic for 1 year compared with baseline, although the proportion having outpatient visits did not change. Mean per patient all-cause costs for inpatient hospitalizations, ED visits and outpatient visits decreased for patients with UC or CD who received the same biologic for 1 year, while mean pharmacy costs per patient increased. CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive analysis shows that although biologics effectively reduced inpatient and ED resource utilization and corresponding costs in patients with UC and CD, total management costs increased, driven by increased pharmacy costs.