Luspatercept Use in MDS Associated With Fewer Patient Visits, Less Resource Use

Compared with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), treatment with luspatercept led to significantly less healthcare resource utilization (HRU) by patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), according to a study of real-world data presented at the Society of Hematologic Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas.

The research team utilized patient data from January 1, 2015, through December 29, 2022, in the Symphony Health database. Data were collected on patients with MDS who filed a first luspatercept or ESA claim, with no other MDS treatments at baseline. The primary outcome was the number of annual inpatient and outpatient visits. The researchers estimated HRU rates after adjusting for age, sex, region, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), transfusion burden, and baseline HRU.

The analysis included 243 patients treated with luspatercept and 3,515 treated with ESAs. At index, the median age was similar between groups (77 years in the luspatercept group vs 78 years in the ESA group). Compared with the ESA group, patients who received luspatercept had lower baseline CCI (3.3 vs 4.2) and were more likely to have had four or more transfusion dates in the eight weeks preceding the first treatment claim (6.6% vs 1.2%). Roughly half of the luspatercept cohort had other MDS treatments before baseline, compared with 1.6% of the ESA cohort.

“HRU rates after treatment initiation were significantly lower among patients treated with luspatercept,” the study authors reported. Treatment with luspatercept was associated with a 26% lower rate of inpatient visits compared with ESAs (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58–0.93). For the number of outpatient visits, the luspatercept group had a 31% lower rate than the ESA group (IRR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.61–0.79). Additionally, follow-up inpatient visits were significantly lower in the luspatercept cohort (IRR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56–0.99).

In summary, the study investigators wrote, “This study found luspatercept was associated with a statistically significant reduction in HRU compared with ESA treatments.”

Reference

Ball B, Song R, Zanardo E, et al. Real-world impact of luspatercept versus erythropoiesis-stimulating agents on the healthcare resource utilization of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes in the United States. Abstract MDS-059. Presented at the Society of Hematologic Oncology 2024 Annual Meeting; September 4-7, 2024; Houston, Texas.