Real-World Assessment of Interferon-β-1b and Interferon-β-1a Adherence Before and After the Introduction of the BETACONNECT® Autoinjector: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background Both interferon beta-1b (IFN-β-1b) and interferon beta-1a (IFN-β-1a) are immunomodulators that require regular subcutaneous self-administration by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, no electronic autoinjector is available for IFN-β-1a in the US. Objective This retrospective cohort study investigated adherence to two subcutaneous disease-modifying therapies, IFN-β-1b and IFN-β-1a, during two periods (before and after the introduction of the BETACONNECT ® autoinjector for IFN-β-1b). Patients and Methods Data were evaluated from the MarketScan database for adults in the US with an MS diagnosis and a medical claim for subcutaneous IFN-β-1b or IFN-β-1a, either before (October 2013-September 2015 or after the introduction of BETACONNECT (October 2016-September 2018. Patient populations were propensity-score matched by demographic and clinical characteristics. Persistence was recorded, and adherence was evaluated by medication possession ratio (MPR). ResultsThe study included 196 IFN-β-1b and 365 IFN-β-1a people with MS (PwMS) (pre-BETACONNECT period), and 126 IFN-β-1b and 223 IFN-β-1a PwMS (post-BETACONNECT period). In the pre-BETACONNECT period, the proportion with at least 80% MPR was higher for IFN-β-1a (90%) than for IFN-β-1b (83%), but in the post-BETACONNECT period the proportion with ≥ 80% MPR was higher for IFN-β-1b (92%) than for IFN-β-1a (86%). In the pre-BETACONNECT period, median persistence (in days) was higher for than for , while in post-BETACONNECT period persistence was higher for IFN-β-1b (327) than for IFN-β-1a (229). Conclusions Following the introduction of BETACONNECT, this exploratory study suggested that PwMS taking IFN-β-1b were more adherent compared with those taking IFN-β-1a, with higher persistence, and more than 90% reached 80% MPR, a threshold commonly used to define good adherence.

A Prospective, Observational, Multicenter Study Assessing Adherence to Interferon Beta-1b Therapy and Patient Satisfaction Using the BETACONNECT Auto-Injector

“…BETACONNECT, RebiSmart, ExtaviPro) showed that the BETACONNECT device was preferred [ 29 ]. Recently, a retrospective cohort study conducted in the USA found that after the introduction of BETACONNECT, adherence to interferon β-1b was higher than for patients taking interferon β-1a without an electronic auto-injector, and that more than 90% of patients using BETACONNECT had ≥ 90% medication possession ratio, a threshold commonly used to define good adherence [ 30 ]. In a further recent study, patient satisfaction with the BETACONNECT device was maintained over 2 years, with median scores of 9 out of 10 both at baseline and at the end of the study period [ 31 ].…”