Healthcare resource utilisation and associated costs in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis in England: A retrospective observational cohort study.

Background: Real-world data on the healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and cost burden of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) are limited. We assessed all-cause HCRU and costs in patients with EGPA versus a matched general population cohort without EGPA and a severe uncontrolled asthma (SUA) cohort. Methods: Primary care data in England from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum database, with linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics inpatient, outpatient and emergency department records, were analysed. Patients with a new EGPA diagnosis in 2006-2020 and ≥ 1 year of data before diagnosis (index date [ID]) were included and matched using a matching ratio of up to 1:4 with a general population cohort without EGPA and patients with SUA. Follow-up was from ID until deregistration, last data collection, death or study end. HCRU and associated costs were assessed across the 12 months prior to ID, and annually from ID to end of the study period, and by disease states and Five-Factor Score [FFS]. Results: A total of 486 patients with EGPA were identified, with a corresponding matched general population cohort of 1938 and SUA cohort of 1005 patients. Annual all-cause HCRU rates during follow-up were higher in the EGPA cohort versus the general population and SUA cohorts for all types of care, particularly in the first year after ID. Patients with an FFS of 0 generally had lower HCRU than those with an FFS ≥1. Annualised total HCRU-associated costs (95% confidence interval [CI]) were higher in the EGPA cohort (£13,978 [12,068, 15,888]) versus the general population (£2303 [2145, 2461]) and matched SUA cohorts (£3571 [3326, 3816]), with cost ratios (95% CI) of 8.3 (7.1, 9.6) and 4.1 (3.6, 4.6) respectively, both p < 0.0001. The greatest cost driver was hospital admissions with cost ratios (95% CI) of 12.3 (9.8, 15.5) and 5.8 (4.7, 7.2) compared with the general population and SUA cohorts, respectively. Median all-cause annualised total costs per patient were 46% and 56% higher among patients with relapse or stable disease, respectively, than among those in remission at ID. Conclusion: Patients with EGPA incurred significantly higher annualised HCRU rates and associated costs than both the general population and SUA cohorts, underscoring a substantial clinical and economic burden and highlighting a persistent unmet clinical need in practice.