(382) A claims-based analysis of the real-world economic burden of illness in patients with Sjögren’s disease in the United States

Background: : Sjögren’s is an autoimmune disorder characterized by dry eyes/mouth, fatigue, pain and systemic manifestations often resulting in significant additional healthcare costs.

Objective: : To describe the all-cause and disease-specific healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs associated with Sjögren’s

Methods: : Two claims-databases were used to identify prevalent and incident patients with Sjögren’s between 01/01/2020 through 12/31/2021 (100% Medicare Fee-for-Service [FFS]) or 12/31/2022 (MORE2 Registry®). Adult patients with atleast 2 outpatient claims with a Sjögren’s ICD-10 diagnosis code atleast 30 days apart within a 1-year period (earliest claim = index date), and 12 months of continuous enrollment pre-index and a variable follow-up of atleast 12 months post-index were included. Absence of a Sjögren’s ICD-10 code in all available history pre-index was required for the incident cohort. All-cause and Sjögren’s-specific HCRU (per-patient per month [PPPM]) and costs (per-patient per year [PPPY]) were evaluated at baseline and follow-up.

Results: : The prevalent cohort consisted of 133,033 patients, of which 30% (n= 39,596) were classified as incident. Overall, mean age was 66, 90% were female and 62% were insured by Medicare FFS. At baseline, 34% of the prevalent cohort and 33% of the incident cohort had atleast 1 all-cause emergency department (ED) visit PPPM; during follow-up, this increased to 58% of the prevalent cohort and 53% of the incident cohort. At baseline, 13% of the prevalent cohort and 11% of the incident cohort had atleast 1 inpatient (IP) admission PPPM; during follow-up, this increased to 28% of the prevalent cohort and 23% of the incident cohort. During follow-up, 17% and 13% of the prevalent cohort and 13% and 5% of the incident cohort had atleast 1 Sjögren’s-specific ED visit and IP admission PPPM, respectively. Total all-cause baseline costs PPPY in prevalent and incident cohorts were $23,532 and $21,324, respectively. These costs increased during follow-up (prevalent: $29,820 PPPY; incident: $28,476 PPPY). About 23% and 24% of the baseline and follow-up all-cause costs for prevalent patients and 13% and 19% of the baseline and follow-up all-cause costs for incident patients was identified as Sjögren’s related.

Conclusions: : Findings highlight the substantial economic burden associated with Sjögren’s, including significant HCRU and high costs. This underscores the need for Sjögren’s specific treatments to effectively manage the disease and mitigate the economic burden faced by patients. Future research should focus on the long-term economic burden as the disease progresses.

Sponsorship:: Amgen