Cost associated with a relapse-free patient in multiple sclerosis: A real-world health indicator

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS) are well known; however, owing to their high costs, determining real-world outcomes is essential to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to investigate the variability in the annual cost of DMTs associated with a relapse-free patient in a representative population cohort of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and whether this could serve as an appropriate health indicator. METHODS: We analyzed the patients followed up in our MS clinic during the years 2016 and 2019, and selected patients belonging to our health district diagnosed with RRMS. The treatment cost associated with a relapse-free patient was the ratio between the total cost of DMTs and the number of relapse-free patients, treated and not treated, during the year of the study. RESULTS: A total of 158 patients with RRMS in 2016 and 183 in 2019 were included in our study. In 2016, 101 patients with RRMS (63.9%) received treatment with DMTs and 120 patients (75.9%) remained relapse-free. The mean cost of DMTs per patient in 2016 was €7414.3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6325.2–8503.4) considering all the patients (treated and not treated). In 2019, 126 patients (68.9%) received DMTs and 151 patients (82.5%) remained relapse-free. The mean cost of DMTs per patient in 2019 was €6985.4 (95% CI: 5986.9–7983.9) considering all the patients. The cost per year of DMTs to achieve a relapse-free patient was €9762.2 in 2016 and €8465.8 in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment cost per year to achieve a relapse-free patient was stable during successive measurements in the same population. Therefore, it may be considered a good real-world health indicator for patients with RRMS treated with DMTs.