Healthcare Resource Utilization in Patients With Tardive Dyskinesia Treated With Benztropine Compared With a Non-Treated Cohort

Abstract: Background: Benztropine may be prescribed off-label to patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) to provide symptom relief; however, per benztropine prescribing information, it may aggravate TD symptoms. Methods: This retrospective study used US-based MarketScan® claims data from July 2012–September 2021. Patients with TD aged ≥18 years on their first TD diagnosis date during the identification period who had ≥1 year continuous insurance coverage from ≥1 year prior to and ≥1 year after the index treatment date were identified. Exclusion criteria were TD diagnosis before the index date, use of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitors (VMAT2i), or diagnosis of Parkinson disease, other drug-induced secondary parkinsonism, neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism, Huntington disease, or extrapyramidal side effects. Patients with TD and ≥1 claim for benztropine after first TD diagnosis were matched based on baseline characteristics with non-treated TD patients (no VMAT2i nor benztropine). Results: 92 benztropine-treated patients were matched with 92 non-treated patients (mean [SD] age, 47.7 [16.5] years). Benztropine-treated patients had significantly higher number of emergency department visits vs non-treated cohort (mean [SD], 1.0 [1.8] vs 0.5 [1.0]; P=.023). A significantly higher number of medications were prescribed in benztropine-treated patients vs non-treated patients (mean [SD], 59.1 [37.5] vs 47.3 [36.2]; P=.013). Benztropine-treated patients also had a numerically higher number of inpatient visits vs non-treated cohort (mean [SD], 0.4 [1.1] vs 0.3 [0.6]; P=.289). Conclusion: These retrospective study results indicate that prescribing benztropine to TD-diagnosed patients may lead to increased healthcare resource utilization compared with non-treated TD patients during the first year and after benztropine treatment.Short Description: This retrospective study used US-based claims data to compare healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) of patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) treated with benztropine vs non-treated patients with TD. Patients taking benztropine had significantly higher numbers of emergency department visits and numbers of medications prescribed compared with non-treated patients with TD. These findings indicate that prescribing benztropine to TD-diagnosed patients may lead to increased HCRU compared with non-treated TD patients.Name of Sponsoring Organization(s): Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc.