Influence of omalizumab on treatment costs for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and asthma: an insurance claims analysis

• Authors: Lauren T Roland, University of California San Francisco; Sarah Wise, Emory University; Heqiong Wang, Emory University; Christina Mehta, Emory University; John DelGaudio, Emory University; Joshua Levy, Emory University
• Journal Title: INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF ALLERGY & RHINOLOGY
• Volume: Volume 12, Number 3
• Publisher: WILEY | 2021-10-01, Pages 310-312
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/alr.22904
• Subjects: Biology, Biostatistics; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Otorhinolaryngology

Abstract

Biologics were recently approved for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP),1 with promising results regarding symptom improvement. Biologics are expected to be used as long-term medications, due to worsening of symptoms when treatment is stopped.2 Cost-effectiveness analyses for use in CRSwNP suggest that surgical treatment is more cost-effective compared with biologics,3 and biologics have been found to be cost-effective only for severe asthmatics.4,5 CRSwNP patients with comorbid asthma have been shown to have a higher overall cost burden than those with CRSwNP alone.6 Recent work suggests that biologics prescribed for the indication of asthma provide improvement of comorbid CRSwNP symptoms.7 The goal of this study was to describe the costs for patients with CRSwNP and asthma who received biologic medication among a nationally representative insurance claims database.