Health resource use and costs of vilazodone and other selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in treating major depressive disorder

Abstract

Objective:

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely prescribed antidepressants. This claims database study compared healthcare resource use and costs among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) treated with vilazodone vs other SSRIs.

Methods:

Adults with an MDD diagnosis and ≥1 prescription fill for vilazodone, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or sertraline were identified from administrative claims data (2010–2012). Patients who concomitantly used adjunctive medication, either a second-generation antidepressant or antipsychotic, were excluded. All-cause and MDD-related healthcare resource use and costs (in 2012 USD) were compared between patients treated with vilazodone vs other SSRIs over a 6-month follow-up period using unadjusted and multivariable analyses.

Results:

The study cohort included 49 861 patients (mean age = 44.0 years; 70% female). Compared with the vilazodone cohort (n = 3527), patients in the citalopram (n = 12 187), escitalopram (n = 8275), fluoxetine (n = 10 142), paroxetine (n = 3146), and sertraline (n = 12 584) cohorts had significantly more all-cause inpatient hospital visits, longer hospital stays and more frequent emergency department visits, following the index date, after adjusting for baseline characteristics. All-cause medical service costs (inpatient + outpatient + emergency department visits) were significantly higher across all other SSRI cohorts vs vilazodone by $758–$1165 (p < 0.05). Similarly, all-cause total costs, were significantly or numerically (non-significantly) higher across all SSRI cohorts vs vilazodone by $351–$780.

Limitations:

The was no clinical measurement of disease severity, partial coverage of the Medicare-eligible population, and short follow-up.

Conclusion:

MDD treatment with vilazodone was associated with significantly lower rates of inpatient and emergency services, and with significantly lower all-cause medical service costs and numerically (non-significantly) lower total costs to payers than with the other SSRIs included in this study.

Key words::

• Major depressive disorder
• Healthcare resource utilization
• Costs and cost analysis
• Vilazodone
• Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

Transparency

Declaration of funding

This research was sponsored by Forest Research Institute, Inc., an affiliate of Actavis, Inc.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

SS is a current employee of Forest Research Institute, Inc., an affiliate of Actavis, Inc. ZYZ, PC (former employee), YZ (former employee), TT, and JS are employees of Analysis Group, Inc., which has received consultancy fees from Forest Research Institute, Inc., an affiliate of Actavis, Inc. JME peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Acknowledgments

Medical writing assistance was provided by Ana Bozas, PhD, an employee of Analysis Group, Inc.