New study showed higher healthcare costs associated with poor epilepsy control

For the attention of accredited medical writers only

Results from this retrospective cohort study conducted using a US administrative health claims data was presented this week at the 29^th International Epilepsy Congress in Rome, Italy¹.

“This study has shown that the cost of treating patients who need to change their AED because of poor seizure control or unacceptable side effects is high, and suggests that fast, sustained epilepsy control is not only beneficial for people with epilepsy, it also reduces healthcare costs for society,” commented study author, Dr. Florent Richy, Head of Global Epidemiology, UCB and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Liege, Belgium.

The study followed 12,718 patients with epilepsy taking one or more AEDs over a two-year period. Demographic features, baseline characteristics and total annual healthcare costs were stratified by AED treatment pattern (stable versus unstable) during the observation period.

Of all patients included in the study, 53% had unstable AED therapy during the study (22% add-on, 6% switch, 25% discontinuation). Eighteen percent of patients with stable treatment had been diagnosed one year or less prior to baseline, compared to 28% with unstable treatment.

Overall healthcare cost for patients with an AED switch ($28,732) or add-on ($31,321) were two-fold or more higher than the overall healthcare costs for patients on stable treatment ($11,505). Emergency room costs for patients with unstable AED treatment (add-on, $9240, switch, $6392, discontinuation, $3,012) were approximately 3- to 8-times higher than for those on stable therapy ($1,176).

^* Data Source: IMS LifeLink : Health Plan Claims Database , PharMetrics, Inc., a unit of IMS Health, Watertown, WA. ©2009, All Rights Reserved.

The IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database includes longitudinal, integrated, patient-level medical and pharmaceutical claims comprising five billion patient observations from across the United States comprised of over 70 million patients from over 100 health plans, including medical services and prescription drug information across the entire continuum of care.

For further information
Eimear O Brien, Associate Director, Global CNS Communications

T +32 2 559 9271, eimear.obrien@ucb.com

Reference

1. Richy F, Clark C, Makaroff L, Gervasoni C, Kaufman D. Stable and unstable treatment patterns in epilepsy and their direct cost impact: Pharmetrics analysis of AED add-on therapy, switches and discontinuations. Presented at the 29^th International Epilepsy Congress in Rome, Italy (28^th August-1^st September)

About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 8 500 people in about 40 countries, the company generated revenue of EUR 3.2 billion in 2010. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, effects of future judicial decisions, changes in regulation, exchange rate fluctuations and hiring and retention of its employees.