Medical Costs Related to Enzyme Replacement Therapy for Mucopolysaccharidosis Types I, II, and VI in Brazil: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type I (MPS I), MPS type II (MPS II), and MPS type VI (MPS VI) are lysosomal storage disorders for which enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is available.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of medical interventions in a cohort of patients with MPS I, II, and VI on ERT to estimate the impact of direct medical costs associated with the treatment of MPS and compare its frequency with that observed among patients not on ERT.

METHODS

This was a multicenter study using a retrospective design including a convenience sampling of Brazilian patients with MPS I, II, and VI. Data on the number and type of medical appointments, hospital admissions, medications used, and surgical procedures performed per patient were obtained through a review of medical records, as were data on ERT. These variables were then compared between patients undergoing ERT and those not on ERT.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients (27 on ERT) were included in the study. Overall, between-group differences were found in median absolute frequencies of hospital admissions and surgical procedures per year, both of which were higher in the non-ERT group. Furthermore, we observed a high rate of failure to record medication dosage regimens.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that Brazilian patients with MPS I, II, and VI who are on ERT undergo fewer medical interventions, which can lead to a reduction in direct medical costs to the publicly funded health care system. The cost of ERT, however, is extremely high and probably outweighs this reduction.