Why carry out the study?

Repository corticotropin injection (RCI; Acthar® Gel) is indicated for the treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults.

Despite the well-documented clinical and economic benefits of RCI treatment for MS relapse, many patients are denied access to RCI by third-party payers.

By implementing a retrospective cohort design of de-identified claims data, this study aims to understand the demographic and clinical characteristics of 1902 MS relapse patients who were either approved or denied access to RCI treatment by their insurers.

What was learned from the study?

Compared to the approved cohort, patients denied access to RCI had measurably worse outcomes and greater healthcare resource use (HCRU) along a number of dimensions during the follow-up period, including: increased use of corticosteroids, higher rates of MS exacerbation episodes, and more physical therapy/rehab claims.

The results of this real-world study may aid providers and payers in evaluating scenarios where RCI may be beneficial and improve quality of care for patients experiencing MS relapse.

Future research may consider expanding this analysis to larger sample sizes to assess whether the trends of clinical worsening and increased HCRU hold among MS relapse patients denied access to RCI treatment relative to those approved.