Active disease, end-stage renal disease drive costs in lupus nephritis

Due to the high treatment burden and cost of patients with active disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Lupus nephritis (LN), achieving and maintaining low disease activity may help reduce medication use and overall healthcare costs, according to a study.

In this retrospective analysis, total healthcare payer costs for medical and pharmacy services and treatment utilization for commonly prescribed medications were determined for periods of low disease activity, active disease, or ESRD and analyzed for 21,251 patients with a mean follow-up period of 30.6 months.

Of those included, 67.3% had active disease, 51.3% had low disease activity, and 10.5% had ESRD.

Glucocorticoids were used twice as often and mycophenolate mofetil was used 4 times more often in patients with active disease versus low disease activity.

Compared with patients with low disease activity, glucocorticoids, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus were more commonly used in patients with ESRD.

Mean medical costs per month in active disease, ESRD, and low disease activity $4777; $18,084; and $2523, respectively.

Mean medical costs were $4777 per month in active disease and $18,084 per month in ESRD vs $2,523 per month in low disease activity.

Reference
Dall’Era M, Kalunian K, Eaddy M, et al. Real-world treatment utilization and economic implications of lupus nephritis disease activity in the United States. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2022 Oct 3:1-10. doi: 10.18553/jmcp.2022.21496. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36190835.