Evaluating Inadequate Therapy Response in Ulcerative Colitis Adult Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of German Health Claims Data on Advanced Therapy Initiation
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Background
The treatment landscape for active ulcerative colitis (UC) is rapidly evolving and current real-world evidence on response to advanced therapy is limited. This study aimed to determine indicators of inadequate therapeutic response among patients with UC in Germany initiating advanced therapy.
Methods
This retrospective analysis used German claims data (2015-2022) from adult patients (≥18 years). Prevalence and incidence of UC (ICD-10-GM: K51.X) were estimated. Inadequate response to therapy was evaluated in patients initiating advanced therapy based on eight predefined indicators observed for 12 months following index treatment prescription.
Results
Mean UC patient age in 2016-2022 ranged from 49.6 to 51.5 years, 47.6%-48.3% were female. Administrative prevalence ranged from 0.45% in 2016 to 0.53% in 2022. Number of patients initiating advanced treatment ranged from 157 to 347 across the study years (3.2%-4.9% of overall treated study population). On average from 2016-2021, 78.8% had inadequate response in the 12 months following index treatment. Common indicators included prolonged use of corticosteroids (46.2%) and augmentation with conventional therapies (43.9%).
Conclusions
Adult UC patients showed a high prevalence of inadequate response to advanced therapies. Our findings reveal a need for improved UC advanced therapy options, providing insight into inadequate response patterns. This may help identify patients who could benefit from a change in therapy to improve long-term outcomes.
