Direct Cost of Parkinson’s Disease: A Real-World Data Study of Second-Line Therapies

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is one of the main reasons for neurological consultation in Spain. Due to the nature of the disease, it impacts patients, families, and caregivers. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease with no cure, although second-line therapies have recently improved the quality of life of patients in advanced stages. The aim of this study was to analyse the costs of the following therapies: deep brain stimulation (DBS), continuous duodenal levodopa/carbidopa infusion (CDLCI), and continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (CSAI). The methodology used was based on real-world data obtained from an integrated healthcare organization in the Basque Country from 2016 to 2018. This bottom-up retrospective approach only took into account the healthcare perspective. The results revealed the annual cost over 3 years and the projected cost for an additional 2 years. The total costs for 5 years of treatment were as follows: €53,217 for DBS, €208,163 for CDLCI, and €170,591 for CSAI. These costs are in line with those found in the available literature on the subject. Additionally, the analysis provided details of the different costs incurred during intervention with the therapies and compared the costs to those reported in other studies.

Rehabilitation training based on virtual reality for patients with Parkinson’s disease in improving balance, quality of life, activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis

“…Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting approximately 0.021% of the world population. 1 The hallmark symptoms include resting tremors, bradykinesia, stiffness, and postural instability, 2 which have a negative impact on balance, 3 quality of life, 4 activities of daily living, 5 and depressive symptoms. 6 Given the progressive nature of the disease, long-term rehabilitation is necessary to optimize functional ability in order to maintain independence, autonomy, and quality of life.…”

Effects of Levodopa-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel on Dyskinesia and Non-Motor Symptoms Including Sleep: Results from a Meta-Analysis with 24-Month Follow-Up

“…Few studies assessed dyskinesia disability (UPDRS IV item 33, UDysRS), leading to limited evidence and an inability to evaluate these outcomes in meta-analysis. PD is associated with substantial economic burden to patients, caregivers, payers, and society [ 43–46 ]; improvements in patient quality of life could in turn reduce caregiver burden and improve caregiver quality of life [ 47 ]. Informal care costs are a large component of total costs [ 44, 46, 48 ], so potential reductions in caregiver burden and use of informal care could impact the total economic toll of PD.…”

Current Treatments and New, Tentative Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease

“…Moreover, it is estimated that the number of people affected will double in the next 30 years due to the increasing prevalence in an ageing population [ 13 ]. Annual costs per patient treated are EUR 3910 per patient in Europe [ 14 ] and USD 4551 in the USA [ 15 ]. This figure may change in the coming years due to the introduction of new deep-stimulation therapies, which have high initial costs (32,363 euros) but subsequently reduce annual treatment costs to EUR 1295 per patient [ 14 ].…”