Photo Credit: nadezdagorosko
The following is a summary of “Industry Payments and Branded Glatiramer Acetate Prescribing in the US Medicare Program,” published in the January 2025 issue of Neurology by Hartung et al.
Generic glatiramer acetate has been available since 2015 but is under-prescribed compared to the branded version.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the association between prescribing branded glatiramer acetate in the Medicare program and financial payments from Teva Pharmaceuticals.
They evaluated Medicare Part D and Open Payments data from 2012 to 2021, comparing financial payments made in 2019 to neurologists who prescribed branded and generic glatiramer acetate in 2020. A multivariable logistic regression model assessed the relationship between manufacturer payments and branded prescribing, adjusting for neurologist demographics and practice characteristics.
The results showed that 52% of glatiramer prescriptions in 2021 were for the branded formulation. Of 2,886 neurologists prescribing glatiramer in 2020, 1,323 (46%) prescribed only branded, 364 (22%) only generic, and 929 (32%) both. Among branded prescribers, 53% (702 of 1,323) received payments, compared with 39% (247 of 634) of generic-only prescribers (P < 0.001). Neurologists receiving more than $120 annually had higher odds of prescribing branded glatiramer, with AOR 1.47 (95% CI 1.03–2.10) for $121 to $230, and AOR 1.87 (95% CI 1.28–2.73) for >$230.
Investigators found that financial relationships with the manufacturer were linked to continued branded glatiramer prescribing.
Source: neurology.org/doi/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200424
