Brendan Limone

Antipsychotic discontinuation is common among patients with bipolar disorder, especially when psychotic symptoms are remitted. This analysis describes the prevalence, predictors, and economic impact of antipsychotic discontinuation among patients with bipolar disorder. A retrospective, observational study was conducted using administrative claims data in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Database. Patients with ≥1 claim with a diagnosis for bipolar disorder (manic or mixed) and newly-initiating antipsychotic therapy between 1 January 2011 and 30 June 2016 were included. Baseline characteristics were assessed in the 12 months prior to the initiation. Outcomes were assessed during a 24-month follow-up. Discontinuation of antipsychotic therapy was utilized as a predictor of healthcare costs in models adjusted for baseline characteristics. Using limited set of variables in the claims database, predictors of discontinuation were also assessed. A total of 18,259 commercially-insured patients were identified as initiators of antipsychotics. Common comorbidities among the cohorts included major depressive disorder and dyslipidemia. Discontinuation was very common among these patients (85%). Major depressive disorder, drug abuse, and other substance abuse/dependency were predictive of discontinuation. Controlling for differences in baseline characteristics, discontinuation was associated with 33% higher inpatient and emergency visit costs (p <.001) among those using these services, and 24% higher total healthcare costs (p <.001) for the overall cohort. Most patients with bipolar mania or mixed states discontinue antipsychotic treatment in less than 2 years. Antipsychotic discontinuation contributes to excess healthcare costs. Future research focusing on the reasons for discontinuation and tailoring disease management based on comorbidities may inform adherence improvement initiatives.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. Preterm infants and those with select comorbidities are at highest risk of RSV-related complications. However, morbidity due to RSV infection is not confined to high-risk infants. We estimated the burden of medically attended (MA) RSV-associated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among infants in the United States. Methods: We analyzed commercial (MarketScan Commercial [MSC], Optum Clinformatics [OC]), and Medicaid (MarketScan Medicaid [MSM]) insurance claims data for infants born between April 2016 and February 2020. Using both specific and sensitive definitions of MA RSV LRTI, we estimated the burden of MA RSV LRTI during infants’ first RSV season, stratified by gestational age, comorbidity status, and highest level of medical care associated with the MA RSV LRTI diagnosis. Results: According to the specific definition 75.0% (MSC), 78.6% (MSM), and 79.6% (OC) of MA RSV LRTI events during infants’ first RSV season occurred among term infants without known comorbidities. Conclusions: Term infants without known comorbidities account for up to 80% of the MA RSV LRTI burden in the United States during infants’ first RSV season. Future prevention efforts should consider all infants.