Agomelatine Drug Utilisation Study in Selected European Countries: A Multinational, Observational Study to Assess Effectiveness of Risk-Minimisation Measures.

Background: Hepatotoxic reactions are an important identified risk listed in the agomelatine risk management plan. This post-authorisation safety study evaluated the effectiveness of additional risk-minimisation measures (aRMMs) for agomelatine.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate, among physicians prescribing agomelatine and their patients, liver function monitoring adherence, compliance with contraindications and patients' reasons for non-compliance with liver monitoring.

Methods: A non-interventional cohort study was conducted among adults initiating agomelatine in routine clinical practice in Denmark, France, Germany and Spain through a retrospective medical record abstraction (MRA) before and after implementation of aRMMs and a cross-sectional patient survey.

Results: Fifty-four sites contributed data on 437 and 404 patients in the before- and after-RMM periods, and 237 patients completed the survey. No patient had cirrhosis in either study period; 98.2% of patients in the before- and 98.0% in the after-RMM period had no active liver disease reported at initiation or during treatment. Compliance to contraindicated medications was > 99% in both periods. The adherence to the liver-monitoring regimen was similar in both periods (15.1% before RMM and 16.3% after RMM). In the after-RMM period, 25.2% of patients had a liver test before or at treatment initiation; 61.5% had a liver test during treatment. Among patients surveyed who did not have a blood test before treatment initiation or during treatment, the most frequently cited reason was a test ordered but not yet performed.

Conclusions: The overall adherence to liver-monitoring recommendations remained weakly influenced by aRMMs. However, patients treated with agomelatine are in compliance with relevant contraindications.