This retrospective database study assessed 2-year persistence with bisphosphonates or denosumab in a large German cohort of women with a first-time prescription for osteoporosis treatment. Compared with intravenous or oral bisphosphonates, 2-year persistence was 1.5-2 times higher and risk of discontinuation was significantly lower (P < 0.0001) with denosumab.
Introduction: Persistence with osteoporosis therapies is critical for fracture risk reduction. Detailed data on long-term persistence (≥2 years) with bisphosphonates and denosumab are sparse.
Methods: From the German IMS® database, we included women aged 40 years or older with a first-time prescription for bisphosphonates or denosumab between July 2010 and August 2014; patients were followed up until December 2014. The main outcome was treatment discontinuation, with a 60-day permissible gap between filled prescriptions. Two-year persistence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, with treatment discontinuation as the failure event. Denosumab was compared with intravenous (i.v.) and oral bisphosphonates separately. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) for the 2-year risk of discontinuation were calculated, with adjustment for age, physician specialty, health insurance status, and previous medication use.
Results: Two-year persistence with denosumab was significantly higher than with i.v. or oral bisphosphonates (39.8 % [n = 21,154] vs 20.9 % [i.v. ibandronate; n = 20,472] and 24.8 % [i.v. zoledronic acid; n = 3966] and 16.7-17.5 % [oral bisphosphonates; n = 114,401]; all P < 0.001). Patients receiving i.v. ibandronate, i.v. zoledronic acid, or oral bisphosphonates had a significantly increased risk of treatment discontinuation than did those receiving denosumab (HR = 1.65, 1.28, and 1.96-2.02, respectively; all P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Two-year persistence with denosumab was 1.5-2 times higher than with i.v. or oral bisphosphonates, and risk of discontinuation was significantly lower with denosumab than with bisphosphonates. A more detailed understanding of factors affecting medication-taking behavior may improve persistence and thereby reduce rates of fracture.
Keywords: Bisphosphonates; Compliance; Denosumab; Osteoporosis; Persistence.