Background: Long-acting somatostatin analog therapy (LA-SSA) is recommended as first-line therapy for treatment of unresectable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Understanding treatment sequencing and dosing patterns of LA-SSA is essential for clinical decision-making to provide value-based management of NETs. Objective: To describe treatment patterns of LA-SSA among patients with NETs and subgroups with carcinoid syndrome (CS) in the United States. Methods: This retrospective study utilized claims data from MarketScan® databases to identify patients with NETs and newly treated with LA-SSA between January 1, 2015, and October 31, 2020. Patients were stratified by index LA-SSA (lanreotide and octreotide long-acting release [LAR]). Reported 28-day doses were based on claim fields for days' supply/drug quantity or units of service. Dose escalation was defined as increases in quantity or frequency. Continuous variables, categorical variables, and Kaplan-Meier estimated treatment durations were compared using t-tests, chi-square/Fisher's tests, and log-rank tests, respectively. Results: The study included 241 lanreotide and 521 octreotide LAR patients. Compared with octreotide LAR patients, treatment duration was longer for lanreotide patients (median, 41.3 vs 26.8 months; log-rank p=.004). Fewer lanreotide patients received rescue treatment with short-acting octreotide (7.9% vs 14.4%; p=.011), and a first (6.2% vs 27.3%) and second dose escalation (0.8% vs 5.2%; both p<.05). Among patients with doses reported, fewer lanreotide patients received above-label doses (2.5% [5/202] vs 14.4% [60/416]; p<.001). Among patients who ended treatment during follow-up, fewer lanreotide patients transitioned to another LA-SSA (18.9% [17/90] vs 33.6% [92/274]; p=.008). Similar treatment patterns were observed in CS subgroups. Results for switched treatment patterns were limited due to insufficient sample sizes. Discussion: Real-world treatment patterns of LA-SSA were assessed using more recent administrative claims data. Compared with octreotide LAR patients, lanreotide patients were more likely to remain longer on initial treatment and starting dose without dose escalations and less likely to use rescue treatment and transition to another LA-SSA after discontinuation of the index treatment. Conclusions: Findings from this claims study suggest a potential clinical benefit of lanreotide in NET management.
Keywords: above-label dose; dose escalation; lanreotide; neuroendocrine tumors; octreotide long-acting release.