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The burden of chronic spontaneous urticaria: unsatisfactory treatment and healthcare resource utilization in France (the ASSURE-CSU study)

  • Clinical report
  • Published:
European Journal of Dermatology

Abstract

Background

Data on the clinical burden of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and economic consequences are lacking in France.

Objectives

To characterize the clinical and economic burden of CSU in symptomatic patients despite treatment by analysing data of French patients from the ASSURE-CSU study.

Materials and methods

ASSURE-CSU was an international observational study that included CSU patients with symptoms that lasted for 12 months or more despite treatment. Disease characteristics and healthcare resource use were obtained from medical records. Data on disease history, health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), and work productivity were collected from a patient survey.

Results

A total of 101 patients were analysed (76.2% female; mean age: 48.9 years) with moderate to severe disease (UAS7 score >16) in 43.4% and angioedemain 72.3%. The mean (S.D.) total scores of Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life (CU-Q2oL) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were 37.7 (22.3) and 9.7 (6.9), respectively, thus indicating a significant impact of the disease on HR-QoL. Mean absenteeism and presenteeism were 6.4% and 20.8%, respectively, with a mean loss of work productivity estimated at 20.7%. The mean (S.D.) total direct cost of CSU was €2,397 per patient per year and was mainly driven by therapies (€1,435) and inpatient costs (€859). The indirect costs for four weeks were mainly presenteeism (€421) and loss of work productivity (€420).

Conclusion

CSU significantly impairs HR-QoL, which increases with the severity of the disease. The direct and indirect costs for the management of symptomatic CSU are an important economic burden.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CHU de Nice, University Côte d’Azur, Côte d’Azur, France

    Jean-Philippe Lacour & Abdallah Khemis

  2. Hôpital Larrey, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Françoise Giordano-Labadie

  3. CHU d’Angers, Angers, France

    Ludovic Martin

  4. CHRU de Lille, Lille, France

    Delphine Staumont-Salle

  5. Hospices civils de Lyon, Claude-Bernard University, Lyon, France

    Florence Hacard & Frédéric Berard

  6. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA

    Haijun Tian

  7. RTI Heath Solutions Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Doreen McBride

  8. RTI Health Solutions, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Kelly Hollis & Shannon Hunter

  9. Novartis Pharma SAS, Rueil-Malmaison, France

    Laurent Martin, Audrey Lamirand & Sophie Le Guen

  10. Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland

    Maria-Magdalena Balp

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  1. Jean-Philippe Lacour
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Correspondence to Jean-Philippe Lacour.

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Cite this article

Lacour, JP., Khemis, A., Giordano-Labadie, F. et al. The burden of chronic spontaneous urticaria: unsatisfactory treatment and healthcare resource utilization in France (the ASSURE-CSU study). Eur J Dermatol 28, 795–802 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2018.3446

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2018.3446

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