Usability of the Certolizumab Pegol Auto-Injection Device in Australian Patients with Chronic Rheumatic Diseases: Results from a Market Research Study

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the usability of the ergonomically designed certolizumab pegol pre-filled pen (CZP PFP) in Australian patients with active ankylosing spondylitis, active psoriatic arthritis or moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients and Methods

CZP-naive patients were recruited from six clinical centers in Australia between November 2018 and May 2019. Patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) reviewed training materials and completed pre-injection surveys; patients then self-administered ≥1 injection with the CZP PFP during each of three visits. Patients and HCPs then completed post-injection surveys. Some survey questions were adapted from the self-injection assessment questionnaire (SIAQ_v2.0).

Results

Seventy patients participated (65 completed 3 visits); 33 were biologic-experienced. All patients agreed that training materials were informative; 94% found them easy to understand. Pre-injection, 89% of patients reported little or no anxiety about having injections; 67% (79% in biologic-experienced) were very confident about self-injecting the correct dose with the PFP. Ninety percent of patients were satisfied/very satisfied with their first experience with the CZP PFP; those with pre-injection anxiety reported lower satisfaction (43% vs 79% “very satisfied”). Confidence and satisfaction increased as visits progressed (for Visit 3 vs Visit 2: 69% vs 56% “very convenient”; 75% vs 67% “very confident”; 71% vs 57% “very satisfied”). All HCPs were confident in their patients’ competence to self-inject and thought all patients had overall positive experiences.

Conclusion

Australian patients with chronic rheumatic disease reported high levels of confidence and satisfaction following initial use of the CZP PFP. The availability of devices with patient-centered design innovations may help overcome barriers to self-injection for improved adherence/outcomes.

Keywords:

• biologic
• certolizumab pegol
• patient preference
• patient satisfaction
• self-injection

Data Sharing Statement

Data from non-clinical studies are outside of UCB’s data sharing policy and are unavailable for sharing.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

Since this was a market research study, prior approval of the protocol by an ethics committee was not required. The study was conducted in accordance with relevant market research guidelines, including the obtaining of informed consent and adherence to ethical reporting standards.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the patients, the investigators and their teams who took part in this study. The authors also acknowledge Wee Yan Ran, BSocSci (Hons), from Costello Medical, Singapore for medical writing and editorial assistance based on the authors’ input and direction.

Author Contributions

Substantial contributions to study conception and design: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ; substantial contributions to analysis and interpretation of the data: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ; drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ; final approval of the version of the article to be published: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ; agreed on the journal to which the article will be submitted: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ; agreed to take responsibility and be accountable for the contents of the article: JA, HG, JZ, AL, AJ.

Disclosure

JZ has received speaker honoraria from UCB, Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis and AbbVie. AL is an employee of UCB Pharma and participates in the UCB Stock Award Plan. JA has received sponsorship for conference attendance from UCB. AJ has received sponsorship for educational activities from UCB. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This market research and article were sponsored by UCB Pharma. Support for third-party writing assistance for this article, provided by Wee Yan Ran from Costello Medical, Singapore, was funded by UCB Pharma in accordance with Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines (http://www.ismpp.org/gpp3). The authors acknowledge Costello Medical, Singapore for medical writing and editorial assistance based on the authors’ input and direction.