Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy Utilization in 3 National Cohorts

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAlthough the positive results of the first disease modifying therapies is anticipated to moderately slow disease progression, significant need remains for cognitive enhancers to address AD symptoms and improve quality of life. Despite potential benefits of current treatments, the literature suggests that a large percentage (40‐60%) of AD patients do not use symptomatic treatments for AD and treatment patterns may have considerable geographic variation.MethodPatients with AD (ICD‐10 code G30 or READ code for AD) in 2018‐2019, with ≥1‐year baseline period before index date (first AD diagnosis date during 2018‐2019) and ≥1‐year follow‐up after the index date were selected from the US Humana Research Database (Humana) and the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD (CPRD). Patients with an AD diagnosis during the baseline period were excluded. Within the Japan Medical Data Vision (MDV) database, an ICD‐10 code for AD (G30) was required prior to/on the same date as the first provider visit with an associated prescription for a specified AD medication during the 2018‐2020 study period (defined as the index date). Patients with AD medication visits ≤6 months before the index date were excluded. Percentages of patients initiating donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine, median time on first therapy, and use of a second therapy were calculated.ResultAD therapy was initiated by 35,459, 8,901, and 51,115, patients in the US, UK, and Japan, respectively. Sixty‐three percent were female, in the US and UK, and 59% in Japan; mean age ranged from 81‐82 years. Donepezil was used most frequently (69%, 61%, and 50%), followed by memantine monotherapy (19%, 28%, and 22%) in the US, UK, and Japan, respectively. Median time on first therapy was 213, 334, and 111 days, and a second treatment was used by 30%, 12%, and 10%, respectively.ConclusionIn contemporary cohorts of US, UK, and Japanese individuals newly initiating symptomatic AD therapy, donepezil was the most frequently used therapy followed by memantine monotherapy. Time on first therapy was relatively short (<1 year) and the majority of patients did not utilize a second therapy. These results underscore the unmet need for additional therapies to alleviate the significant burden of AD.