Efficiency Model of Cladribine Tablets Versus Infusion-Based Disease-Modifying Drugs for Patients with...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare management
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Multiple Sclerosis treatment

Background:

• Infusion-based disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) present significant facility resource demands.
• Optimizing treatment delivery is crucial for managing increasing healthcare demands and patient burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and utilize a simulation model for assessing the efficiency of cladribine tablets versus infusion-based DMDs for RRMS treatment.
• To evaluate the impact of transitioning from infusion therapies to cladribine tablets on UK healthcare facility resource utilization and patient time burden.

Main Methods:

• A scheduling algorithm was developed to simulate day-case admissions and resource use.
• The model evaluated transitions from infusion treatments to cladribine tablets over a one-year period.
• Model inputs were derived from existing research and expert consensus, with subsequent validation and scenario analyses.

Main Results:

• The simulation demonstrated that cladribine tablets reduced mean daily facility utilization from 13% to 3% in a future demand scenario.
• Switching 8% of patients to cladribine tablets resulted in a 96% decrease in annual administration costs and a 90% reduction in annual patient time burden.
• Facilities with moderate to high resource utilization experienced the greatest benefits from this treatment switch.

Conclusions:

• The developed simulation model effectively quantifies the efficiency gains of utilizing cladribine tablets over infusion-based DMDs for RRMS.
• Transitioning RRMS patients to cladribine tablets significantly alleviates the burden on healthcare facility resources, particularly under increased demand.
• The findings support cladribine tablets as an efficient alternative for managing RRMS, especially in resource-constrained healthcare settings.