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Economic Implications of Rasburicase Treatment in Adult Patients with Tumour Lysis Syndrome

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Abstract

Background: Rasburicase is a recombinant urate-oxidase enzyme used to reduce high levels of plasma uric acid (PUA) resulting from tumour lysis syndrome (TLS). Rasburicase reduces PUA levels within 4 hours of administration, thereby minimizing the risk of serious complications from TLS. Treatment pattern analyses indicate rasburicase is often used in combination with allopurinol; however, no studies have evaluated the clinical and economic consequences of this pattern of care. The purpose of this study was to compare hospitalization costs, overall length of stay (LOS), and critical-care LOS in patients receiving rasburicase with or without allopurinol.

Methods: Hospital claims data from the Premier Perspective Database™ were used to conduct this retrospective analysis. Patients in the Premier hospital database who were administered rasburicase or combination therapy (rasburicase + allopurinol) within 2 days of hospital admission were eligible for study inclusion. Patients were excluded if they were <18 years of age or received haemodialysis (or any other renal replacement therapy support) on admission. Rasburicase patients were propensity-score-matched to combination therapy patients based on gender, race, hospital type (urban/rural, teaching), provider type, payer type, admission source, use of electrolyte modification therapy, critical-care admission and presence of a cancer diagnosis. Differences in healthcare costs, overall LOS and critical-care LOS were assessed using g-distributed generalized linear models with a log-link function.

Results: The study population comprised 66 patients receiving rasburicase monotherapy matched to 66 patients receiving combination therapy. Mean age was 62.9 years, and 29% were female. Patients initiated on combination therapy had a shorter mean duration of rasburicase administration than patients initiated on monotherapy (2.1 vs 2.7 days) [p = 0.0059]. Additionally, rasburicase monotherapy incurred an average total cost of $US35 843 per hospitalization, compared with $US46 672 for those receiving combination therapy (p = 0.0820). Rasburicase monotherapy patients also had a shorter mean overall LOS (10.0 days vs 15.4 days; p = 0.0067). The mean critical-care LOS was similar in both cohorts (2.4 days rasburicase vs 2.9 days combination therapy; p=0.3389).

Conclusion: Examination of claims data showed that combination therapy (rasburicase + allopurinol) trended toward higher total hospitalization costs than rasburicase monotherapy. In addition, combination therapy was associated with significantly longer overall LOS compared with upfront rasburicase monotherapy in patients at risk for developing TLS.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Nicholas J. Sarlis, MD, PhD, Senior Medical Director, sanofi-aventis US for several discussions over the entire duration of this analysis, as well as for his helpful comments on this manuscript.

Disclosures: This study was supported by sanofi-aventis US. The authors were fully responsible for all content, editorial decisions and opinions expressed in the article.

Dr Eaddy and Dr O’Day are employed by Xcenda and are consultants for sanofi-aventis US, which manufactures the Elitek brand of rasburicase and supported this study. At the time of this research, Ms Davies was an employee of Xcenda. Dr Seal was employed by sanofi-aventis US at the time of the study and owns sanofi-aventis stock. Mr Tangirala is employed by sanofi-aventis.

Author contributions: All authors contributed to the study design, interpretation and writing of the manuscript. The analysis was completed by Mr Tangirala, who is also the guarantor of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xcenda, LLC, 4114 Woodlands Parkway, Suite 500, Palm Harbor, Florida, FL 34685, USA

    Michael Eaddy, Elizabeth Hackney Davies & Ken O’Day

  2. Bayer Healthcare, Wayne, New Jersey, USA

    Brian Seal

  3. sanofi-aventis US, Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA

    Krishna Tangirala

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  1. Michael Eaddy
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  2. Brian Seal
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  3. Krishna Tangirala
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  4. Elizabeth Hackney Davies
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  5. Ken O’Day
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Correspondence to Michael Eaddy.

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Eaddy, M., Seal, B., Tangirala, K. et al. Economic Implications of Rasburicase Treatment in Adult Patients with Tumour Lysis Syndrome. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 10, 431–440 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03261877

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