Real-World Treatment Patterns and Outcomes Among Patients with Episodic Migraine in China: Results from the Adelphi Migraine Disease Specific Programme™

Abstract

Objective

This study assessed treatment patterns, disease burden, outcomes, and unmet needs among patients with episodic migraine (EM) in China using Adelphi Migraine Disease Specific Programme™ (DSP) real-world data.

Background

Migraine is a prevalent and debilitating neurological disorder which presents a major public health burden globally. Research on characteristics, disease burden, and treatment patterns in EM patients in China is limited.

Methods

Data were drawn from an existing data set Adelphi Migraine DSP, a point-in-time survey conducted in China (January-June 2014). Internists/neurologists completed patient record forms for the next 9 patients who consulted them in clinical practice; these same patients completed the ‘patient self-completion questionnaires’. Descriptive analyses were used to assess key variables: patient demographics, treatment patterns (current acute and preventive medication [AM/PM]), effectiveness, issues with existing treatment, Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scores.

Results

Total of 125 internists/neurologists provided data on 1113 patients with EM (headache days/month <15). Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 43.8 (13.1) years; mean (SD) number of migraine days/month was 3.2 (1.7). AM was prescribed in 86.1% of patients (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]: 62.7%; triptans: 7.7%), PM in 38.5%, and both in 24.9% of patients. Approximately 55% of patients experienced ≥1 issue with their current AM or PM. Migraine-related symptoms (including nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) were fully controlled in <50% of patients receiving NSAIDs (21.7–38.4%) or triptans (32.4–43.5%). Insufficient response to current AM (migraine headache fully resolved within 2 hours in ≤3/5 attacks) was reported by 42.5% of patients. Mild-to-severe disability was reported by 36.8% of patients with a mean (SD) MIDAS score of 5.8 (7.3). Overall, 58.0% of work time was impaired (including time missed and impairment while working).

Conclusion

This analysis suggests, despite existing treatment options, disease burden and unmet medical needs remain substantial in Chinese patients with EM.

Keywords:

• episodic migraine
• clinical practice
• patient-reported outcomes
• real-world
• disease burden

Abbreviations

AM, acute medication; AMPP, American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention; CHIRA, China Health Insurance Research Association; DSP, Disease Specific Programme™; EM, episodic migraine; HDM, headache days per month; HRQoL, health-related quality of life; MIDAS, Migraine Disability Assessment; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PM, preventive medication; US, United States; WPAI, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment.

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from Sarah Cotton ([email protected]) on reasonable request.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The DSP was conducted in accordance with the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association code of conduct and, as such, did not require ethical review. As this was a retrospective analysis that used deidentified, previously collected, data, patient participants were not required to provide formal Consent to Release Information forms for the current analyses; the original consent from those who provided data in the DSP covered the planned analyses in this study.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Deepika Kajarekar, from Syneos Health, for medical writing support.

Author Contributions

All authors made significant contribution to the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of the work reported; critically reviewed and revised the manuscript drafts and provided approval on the final draft for submission to the journal.

Disclosure

Sarah Cotton is an employee of Adelphi Real World. Wenyu Ye is an employee and received stocks from Eli Lilly and Company. Lei Zhang, Janet Ford, Shiying Zhong, Jinnan Li and Antje Tockhorn-Heidenreich are employees of Eli Lilly and Company. Hongru Zhao, Zheman Xiao and Chunfu Chen declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Data collection was undertaken by Adelphi Real World as part of an independent survey, entitled the Adelphi Migraine Disease Specific Programme, sponsored by multiple pharmaceutical companies, one of which was Eli Lilly and Company. The study described here using data from the Adelphi Migraine Disease Specific Programme was funded by Eli Lilly and Company. All data that support the findings of this study are the intellectual property of Adelphi Real World. All requests for access should be addressed directly to Sarah Cotton at [email protected].