• Jeffrey T Guptill, Mark B Bromberg, Li Zhu, Bal K Sharma, Amy R Thompson, Andrew Krueger, and Donald B Sanders.
• Department of Medicine - Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3403, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA.
• Muscle Nerve. 2014 Jul 1;50(1):47-51.

IntroductionWe determined health plan paid costs and healthcare resource usage of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).MethodsCIDP patients from 9 U.S. commercial health plans with claims in 2011 were identified from the Accordant Health Services claims database. We examined demographics, prevalence of comorbidities, prescribed drugs, place of service, and mean annual health plan paid costs per patient.ResultsFrom 6.5 million covered lives, 73 (56% men; mean age 47) met study entry criteria. The most prescribed therapies were intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) (26% of patients), gabapentin (26%), and prednisone (16%). The annual health plan paid cost was $56,953. Pharmacy cost was the major cost driver (57% of the total), and IVIg totaled 90% of the pharmacy costs.ConclusionsHealthcare costs for CIDP patients are substantial, with a large burden in pharmacy usage. Studies are needed to determine optimal long-term treatment strategies for CIDP, particularly related to IVIg.Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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