Shifting from the treat-to-target to the early highly effective treatment approach in patients with multiple sclerosis - real-world evidence from Germany.

Background: While evidence highlights the effectiveness of initiating disease-modifying therapy with a high-efficacy medication for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with poor prognostic factors, it remains unclear whether this approach has been adopted by a broad range of MS providers in Germany yet.

Objective: To assess the adoption of the early highly effective treatment (EHT) compared to the treat-to-target treatment approach with the option of escalating treatment efficacy over time in Germany based on real-world evidence data.

Design: Patient-level pharmacy dispensing data from the Permea platform were analysed from 2020 to 2022.

Comparing the long-term clinical and economic impact of ofatumumab versus dimethyl fumarate and glatiramer acetate in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis: A cost-consequence analysis from a societal perspective in Germany.

Background: Evidence suggests that early highly efficacious therapy in relapsing multiple sclerosis is superior to escalation strategies.

Objective: A cost-consequence analysis simulated different treatment scenarios with ofatumumab (OMB), dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and glatiramer acetate (GA): immediate OMB initiation as first treatment, early switch to OMB after 1 year on DMF/GA, late switch after 5 years or no switch.

Methods: An EDSS-based Markov model with a 10-year time horizon was applied.

Cost of illness in multiple sclerosis by disease characteristics - A review of reviews.

Introduction: In light of the increasing number of economic burden studies and heterogeneity in methodology and reporting standards, there is a need for robust evidence synthesis on an umbrella review level.

Areas Covered: We performed the first review of reviews of cost-of-illness studies in multiple sclerosis. Focusing on disaggregated costs by disease characteristics (disability level, relapse, disease course), we also characterized the underlying methodological evidence base of individual (primary) studies.

[The Multiple Sclerosis Health Resource Utilization Survey].

Background: In health economic studies, valid and reliable cost data are essential to reach meaningful conclusions. In the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), such studies are often based on primary data for which the underlying survey instruments have not been published. In addition, heterogeneous methods make the comparability and interpretation of such study results difficult.

Gender disparities in health resource utilization in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a prospective longitudinal real-world study with more than 2000 patients.

Background: For the case of multiple sclerosis, research on gender differences from a health economics perspective has not received much attention. However, cost-of-illness analyses can provide valuable information about the diverse impact of the disease and thus help decision-makers to allocate scarce resources. The aim of this study was to describe healthcare resource use and associated societal costs from a gender perspective.

Correction to: Real-World Evidence on the Patterns of Increased Societal Economic Relapse Costs in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

In the original version of this article, the title of the article has been published incorrectly.

Real-World Evidence on the Societal Economic Relapse Costs in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Relapses are the hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS). Analyses have shown that the cost of MS increases during periods of relapse. However, results are inconsistent between studies, possibly due to different study designs and the different implications of relapses with respect to patient characteristics.

The Multiple Sclerosis Health Resource Utilization Survey (MS-HRS): Development and Validation Study.

Background: Survey-based studies are frequently used to describe the economic impact of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is no validated health resource survey available, preventing comparison of study results and meaningful conclusions regarding the efficiency of long-term treatments.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tablet- and paper-based MS health resource utilization survey.

Correction to: Differentiating societal costs of disability worsening in multiple sclerosis.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The captions of Fig. 2 and Fig.

Differentiating societal costs of disability worsening in multiple sclerosis.

Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), confirmed disability progression (CDP) can be either the result of progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) or relapse-associated worsening (RAW). However, the economic effect of PIRA and RAW on societal economic costs in patients with MS is not well understood.

Objective: To determine societal economic costs of patients achieving disease activity free status (DAF) and compare them with those having PIRA and RAW events.