Presentations & Events

PHAR Presents Multiple Sclerosis and AL Amyloidosis Research at AMCP Nexus 2023

PHAR presented three posters at AMCP Nexus 2023. One poster presented findings on a multicenter, retrospective medical chart review of adult patients with MS and investigates transitions between multiple sclerosis (MS) phenotypes over time. An encore poster reported on the development of a validated algorithm capable of identifying adult patients with nonrelapsing secondary progressive MS in US-based electronic health records or claims databases. A third poster presented the findings of a retrospective claims analysis which compared healthcare resource utilization and costs in patients with and without AL amyloidosis.

All three posters can be found on the PHAR publications page, and accompanying abstracts are published in the October 2023 supplement of Journal of Managed Care + Specialty Pharmacy.

PHAR Presents Rare Disease, Oncology, Neurology, and Infectious Disease Research at ISPOR 2023

PHAR presented research spanning the spanning the areas of rare disease, oncology, neurology, and infectious disease. Three of their posters examined and reported on the use of genomic screening/testing to improve outcomes in multiple types of advanced cancers. PHAR’s researchers also contributed to three posters on the benefits of a novel antiviral treatment for COVID-19, on the development of algorithms to identify non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis in electronic health data, and on healthcare resource utilization and costs related to the management of tuberous sclerosis complex, a rare genetic disorder.

All of these posters can be found on the PHAR publications page, and accompanying abstracts will be published in the June 2023 ISPOR supplement of Value in Health.

PHAR Analysis Finds Low Adherence to Treatment-Based Guidelines in CSU

PHAR investigators, in partnership with Genentech, Inc., conducted an insurance claims analysis to examine how real-world treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) among commercially insured and Medicaid patients aligns with current global treatment guidelines. PHAR’s Sheila Reddy, PhD, MSc, RPh, Eunice Chang, PhD, and Marian Tarbox, MPP found that adherence to treatment-based guidelines for CSU was generally low in both populations of patients, and described treatment patterns at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The poster can be viewed here, and the abstract was published in the February supplement issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

PHAR Strengthens Validation of a Claims-Based Algorithm to Identify NMOSD

PHAR, in collaboration with Genentech, presented findings from further validation of their claims-based algorithm used to identify patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a disorder that can be difficult to distinguish from other demyelinating central nervous system (CNS) disorders in clinical practice.

Earlier this year, PHAR developed an algorithm to distinguish patients with NMOSD from patients with multiple sclerosis and other CNS inflammatory disorders, validating it in a proxy insurance claims database derived from billing and medication records from three neurology care centers. Interim results were presented at ACTRIMS Forum 2022. Since then, PHAR has further demonstrated the performance of the algorithm in a dataset of 101 patients from five neurology care clinics and has tested its face validity using 2016–2019 data from IBM® MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases. Their poster was presented at the 38th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), and the abstract was published in the October supplement issue of Multiple Sclerosis Journal.

PHAR Develops Expert Consensus on the Management of Infusion-Related Reactions Presenting With Pain in Patients Receiving Crizanlizumab

PHAR’s Irina Yermilov, MD, MPH, MS, Cynthia Campos, MPH, and Michael Broder, MD, MSHS, in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, convened a RAND/UCLA modified Delphi panel of 10 clinicians to develop consensus on the management of infusion-related reactions presenting with pain in patients with sickle-cell disease receiving crizanlizumab. Their research and findings were orally presented at the 17th Annual Scientific Conference on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (ASCAT). The presentation can be viewed here, and the abstract will be published in a supplement issue of HemaSphere.

PHAR Examines Mortality and Costs Associated With Influenza in Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries Treated vs Untreated With Antivirals

PHAR’s Sheila Reddy, PhD, MSc, RPh, Eunice Chang, PhD, Katalin Bognar, PhD, and Marian Tarbox, MPP, in collaboration with Genentech, Inc., identified antiviral treated and untreated patients ≥66 years old with an influenza diagnosis during flu seasons 2016-2018 in a retrospective study of Medicare Fee-For-Service claims from the 100% Research Identifiable Files. Results showed prompt antiviral treatment may be associated with reduced mortality, healthcare resource utilization, and economic burden in elderly Medicare beneficiaries with seasonal influenza. These findings were presented at AMCP Nexus; the poster can be viewed here, and the abstract was published in the October supplement issue of the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.

PHAR Examines Real-World Treatment Patterns for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

PHAR’s Sheila Reddy, PhD, MSc, RPh, Eunice Chang, PhD, and Marian Tarbox, MPP, in collaboration with Genentech, Inc., described treatment patterns, including alignment with guidelines, omalizumab and corticosteroid use, and specialist visits, for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria in the real world in a retrospective study utilizing Merative™ MarketScan® commercial and Medicaid databases.

These findings were presented at AMCP Nexus; the poster can be viewed here, and the abstract was published in the October supplement issue of the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.

PHAR Develops Clinical Guidelines to Manage Alpelisib Adverse Events in Breast Cancer Treatment

PHAR investigators, in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, presented practical recommendations on the prevention and management of adverse events from Piqray (alpelisib) in the treatment of advanced breast cancer at the ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Quality Care Symposium.

Earlier this year, PHAR’s Hannah Dalglish, MPH, Sarah Gibbs, MPH, and Michael Broder, MD, MSHS conducted two modified Delphi panels with 20 experts to gather practical, easy-to-implement guidance on the prevention and management of hyperglycemia and rash related to treatment with alpelisib. The Delphi panel methodology provided a systematic and validated approach to creating clinical consensus among the experts, including oncologists, dermatologists, endocrinologists, and patient advocates. The poster can be found on the PHAR publications page, and the abstract was published in the October supplement issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In addition to finding consensus, the Delphi approach also identified areas of disagreement. Future research may further refine these areas, in addition to testing whether recommendations affect patient outcomes.

PHAR Compares Treatment Patterns for Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis in Telehealth vs In-Person Setting

At the 31st Annual Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, PHAR investigators Ashis Das, MBBS, MPH, PhD, Eunice Chang, PhD, Caleb Paydar, and Michael Broder, MD, MSHS, in collaboration with Amgen Inc., presented their retrospective analysis of treatment patterns for patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis initiating apremilast after a telehealth visit versus an in-person visit while access to care was limited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their findings suggest apremilast initiation can be effectively managed with telehealth visits. The poster can be viewed on the PHAR publications page.

PHAR Demonstrates High Healthcare Utilization, Costs for Diagnostic Hospitalizations of AL Amyloidosis

A study done by PHAR in partnership with Prothena Biosciences Inc., was presented at the International Society Of Amyloidosis’s XVIII. International Symposium on Amyloidosis in Heidelberg, Germany. PHAR investigators Eunice Chang, PhD, Katalin Bognar, PhD, Marian Tarbox, MPP, and Michael S. Broder, MD, MSHS presented their retrospective analysis of nationally representative hospital discharge data examining the rate of diagnostic hospitalizations of light-chain (AL) amyloidosis and associated high costs and increased utilization. They found that healthcare utilization and costs were particularly high for patients who had not been diagnosed prior to being admitted for an acute event, and that healthcare costs are about three times higher among diagnostic hospitalizations for AL amyloidosis compared to the average US hospitalization. Their poster can be found on the PHAR publications page.