Abstract
Summary
The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients initiating teriparatide were compared with those of patients initiating bisphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis. In these samples of commercially insured, Medicare, and Medicaid patients, patients initiating teriparatide were older, in poorer health, and appeared to have more severe osteoporosis than patients initiating bisphosphonates.
Introduction
The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients initiating teriparatide are compared with those of patients initiating bisphosphonates.
Methods
Beneficiaries (45 years and older) with at least one claim for teriparatide or a bisphosphonate from 2003 to 2005 and continuous enrollment in the previous 12 months and subsequent 6 months were identified from commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid administrative claims databases. Patients initiating teriparatide (commercial/Medicare (N = 2,218); Medicaid (N = 824)) were compared to patients initiating bisphosphonates (commercial/Medicare (N = 97,570); Medicaid (N = 77,526)) in terms of age, provider specialty, comorbidities, prior use of osteoporosis medications, fractures, BMD screening, health status, and resource utilization.
Results
Teriparatide patients were older and in poorer health than bisphosphonate patients. Approximately 38% of teriparatide patients in both groups had fractured in the pre-period compared to 16% of commercial/Medicare and 15% of Medicaid bisphosphonate patients. Teriparatide patients were more likely to have used osteoporosis medications in the pre-period (79.9% versus 32.1% (commercial/Medicare); 82.2% versus 19.6% (Medicaid)).
Conclusions
In these samples of patients, those initiating teriparatide differed from those initiating bisphosphonates. Teriparatide patients were older, in poorer health, and appeared to have more severe osteoporosis than bisphosphonate patients. Comparisons of treatment outcomes should take these differences in patient characteristics into consideration.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Emily Durden in the preparation of this manuscript. Funding for this analysis was provided by Eli Lilly and Company.
Disclosure
Shonda Foster, Eric Meadows, Joseph Johnston, and Gerhardt Pohl are employees of Eli Lilly and Company.
Kathleen Foley, Sara Wang, and Stacey Long are employees of Thomson Medstat which received funding from Eli Lilly and Company to conduct the analysis.
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Foster, S.A., Foley, K.A., Meadows, E.S. et al. Characteristics of patients initiating teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int 19, 373–377 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0455-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0455-4