Introduction

There is lack of evidence regarding the real-life treatment patterns in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the characteristics of patients who initiate triple therapies (TT).

Aims

To describe the demographics and clinical characteristics of 4 groups of patients initiating TT in the MDV claims database in a period of May 2018 to December 2021: (1) early adopters (within the first 12 months after market approval) of budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol (BGF), (2) contemporary BGF users (from 12-month after market approval); (3) fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI); and (4) any multiple-inhaler triple therapy (MITT).

Results

Overall, 636 patients were BGF early adopters, 2,558 contemporary BGF users, 11,187 were on FF/UMEC/VI, and 5,931 on MITT. During the baseline period, at least one moderate/severe exacerbation was observed in 18.2% of BGF early adopters, 14.3% of the BGF contemporary users, 13.1% of patients on FF/UMEC/VI and 14.0% of patients on MITT. The proportion of asthma+COPD tended to be higher in users of MITT (84.5%) compared to early adopters (73.0%), BGF contemporary cohort (74.2%), and FF/UMEC/VI (75.7%). ICS/LABA, LABA/LAMA, and LAMA alone were the three most frequent prior maintenance treatments received, respectively, for 38.2%, 31.1%, and 23.0% of early BGF adopters, and for 40.9%, 26.0%, and 25.6% of contemporary BGF patients.

Conclusions

The proportion of asthma+COPD patients was high among those initiating TT, especially MITT. Patients using BGF in the first 12 months after market approval had a higher history of exacerbations.