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Abstract: Ensuring adherence to therapy is a challenge in chronic diseases, particularly in cancers such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), where there has been increased availability and use of oral formulations. A conceptual model of adherence was developed based on findings from a comprehensive literature review, to inform strategies for improving adherence to oral CML therapies. A complex interplay of factors (including clinical, psychological and behavioural) influence adherence to such therapies. Healthcare professionals have a key role in promoting and facilitating adherence and future strategies should place greater emphasis on understanding patient-level experiences in order to create personalized solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a progressive plasma cell malignancy, with a range of clinical features including bone lesions, renal insufficiency, anaemia, and hypercalcaemia. Novel agents have significantly improved patient survival, however most patients will suffer multiple relapses. Although clinical challenges and economic costs of relapse are recognised, the psychological impact of relapse is not fully appreciated. Additionally, there is little information on how physicians perceive the impact of relapse on their patients’ emotional state and how this might affect patient management. Through face-to-face interviews with 50 relapsed and/or refractory MM patients and 30 haematologists across ten countries, we have used real-world evidence to explore and characterise the burden of living with MM, particularly the impact of relapsed disease. This exploratory study illustrates the impact of the disease on friends and family, and the physical and emotional burden experienced by the patient resulting from both MM and its treatment. Haematologists feel poorly equipped to deal with the emotional aspects of patient relapse, lacking the time and resources to adequately deal with these issues. Focused educational and support tools/resources targeted at both physicians and patients are required to facilitate physician–patient communication to help reduce the emotional burden of living with MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite overall progress in treatment of autoimmune diseases, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience many inflammatory symptoms representing an unmet medical need. This study aimed to create a conceptual model of the humanistic and economic burden of SLE, and review the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) used to measure such concepts in SLE clinical trials. Methods A conceptual model for SLE was developed from structured review of published articles from 2007 to August 2013 identified from literature databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EconLit) plus other sources (PROLabels, FDA/EMA websites, Clinicaltrials.gov). PROs targeting key symptoms/impacts were identified from the literature. They were reviewed in the context of available guidance and assessed for face and content validity and psychometric properties to determine appropriateness for use in SLE trials. Results The conceptual model identified fatigue, pain, cognition, daily activities, emotional wellbeing, physical/social functioning and work productivity as key SLE concepts. Of the 68 articles reviewed, 38 reported PRO data. From these and the other sources, 15 PROs were selected for review, including SLE-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures (n = 5), work productivity (n = 1), and generic measures of fatigue (n = 3), pain (n = 2), depression (n = 2) and HRQoL (n = 2). The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue Scale (FACIT-Fatigue), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-SF) and LupusQoL demonstrated the strongest face validity, conceptual coverage and psychometric properties measuring key concepts in the conceptual model. All PROs reviewed, except for three Lupusspecific measures, lacked qualitative SLE patient involvement during development. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form [36 item] Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2),) EuroQoL 5-dimensions (EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire:Lupus (WPAI:Lupus) showed suitability for SLE economic models. Conclusions Based on the identification of key symptoms and impacts of SLE using a scientifically sound conceptual model, we conclude that SLE is a condition associated with high unmet need and considerable burden to patients. This review highlights the availability and need for diseasespecific and generic patient-reported measures of relevant domains of disease signs and symptoms, HRQoL and work productivity, providing useful insight for SLE clinical trial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inhaled drug delivery is the cornerstone treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, use of inhaler devices can be challenging, potentially leading to critical errors in handling that can significantly reduce drug delivery to the lungs and effectiveness of treatment.Methods: A systematic review was conducted to define 'critical' errors and their impact on health outcomes and resource use between 2004 and 2016, using key search terms for inhaler errors in asthma and COPD (Search-1) and associated health-economic and patient burden (Search-2).Results: Search-1 identified 62 manuscripts, 47 abstracts, and 5 conference proceedings (n = 114 total). Search-2 identified 9 studies. We observed 299 descriptions of critical error. Age, education status, previous inhaler instruction, comorbidities and socioeconomic status were associated with worse handling error frequency. A significant association was found between inhaler errors and poor disease outcomes (exacerbations), and greater health-economic burden.Conclusions: We have shown wide variations in how critical errors are defined, and the evidence shows an important association between inhaler errors and worsened health outcomes. Given the negative impact diminished disease outcomes impose on resource use, our findings highlight the importance of achieving optimal inhaler technique, and a need for a consensus on defining critical and non-critical errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a framework for addressing payers' criteria during the development of pharmaceuticals.Methods: A conceptual framework was presented to an international health economic expert panel for discussion. A structured literature search (from 2010 to May 2015), using the following databases in Ovid: Medline(®) and Medline(®) In-Process (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), EconLit (EBSCOhost) and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED), and a 'grey literature' search, were conducted to identify existing criteria from the payer perspective. The criteria assessed by existing frameworks and guidelines were collated; the most commonly reported criteria were considered for inclusion in the framework. A mnemonic was conceived as a memory aide to summarise these criteria.Results: Overall, 41 publications were identified as potentially relevant to the objective. Following further screening, 26 were excluded upon full-text review on the basis of no framework presented (n = 13), redundancy (n = 11) or abstract only (n = 2). Frameworks that captured criteria developed for or utilised by the pharmaceutical industry (n = 5) and reimbursement guidance (n = 10) were reviewed. The most commonly identified criteria-unmet need/patient burden, safety, efficacy, quality-of-life outcomes, environment, evidence quality, budget impact and comparator-were incorporated into the summary framework. For ease of communication, the following mnemonic was developed: BEACON (Burden/target population, Environment, Affordability/value, Comparator, Outcomes, Number of studies/quality of evidence).Conclusions: The BEACON framework aims to capture the 'essence' of payer requirements by addressing the most commonly described criteria requested by payers regarding the introduction of a new pharmaceutical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and background With the recent emergence of immunotherapies and novel targeted treatments for advanced and metastatic melanoma such as selective B-Raf inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors, the treatment landscape in Europe has changed considerably. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of current treatment pathways in Europe for the treatment of advanced melanoma, unresectable stage III–IV. Methods A literature search of four databases was conducted to identify publications reporting on the treatment patterns of advanced and metastatic melanoma (stage III–IV) in European populations. Results Seven full-text publications and two conference abstracts reported on observational studies of melanoma treatment practices in France, Italy and the United Kingdom. Treatment patterns were identified for two time periods: 2005–2009 and 2011–2012. Common treatments reported for both periods included chemotherapy with dacarbazine, fotemustine or temozolomide. The main differences between the two periods were the introduction and prescription of immunotherapy ipilimumab and targeted therapy vemurafenib between 2011 and 2012. Across the three countries studied, the types of treatments prescribed between 2005 and 2009 were relatively similar, however, with noticeable differences in the frequency and priority of administration. Conclusion Treatment practices for advanced melanoma vary markedly across different European countries and continue to evolve with the introduction of new therapies. The results of this review highlight a considerable evidence gap with regards to recent treatment patterns for advanced melanoma in Europe, especially post-2011 after the introduction of novel therapeutic agents, and more recently with the introduction of programmed cell death 1 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite overall progress in treatment of autoimmune diseases, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experience many inflammatory symptoms representing an unmet medical need. This study aimed to create a conceptual model of the humanistic and economic burden of SLE, and review the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) used to measure such concepts in SLE clinical trials.Methods: A conceptual model for SLE was developed from structured review of published articles from 2007 to August 2013 identified from literature databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, EconLit) plus other sources (PROLabels, FDA/EMA websites, Clinicaltrials.gov). PROs targeting key symptoms/impacts were identified from the literature. They were reviewed in the context of available guidance and assessed for face and content validity and psychometric properties to determine appropriateness for use in SLE trials.Results: The conceptual model identified fatigue, pain, cognition, daily activities, emotional well-being, physical/social functioning and work productivity as key SLE concepts. Of the 68 articles reviewed, 38 reported PRO data. From these and the other sources, 15 PROs were selected for review, including SLE-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures (n = 5), work productivity (n = 1), and generic measures of fatigue (n = 3), pain (n = 2), depression (n = 2) and HRQoL (n = 2). The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue Scale (FACIT-Fatigue), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-SF) and LupusQoL demonstrated the strongest face validity, conceptual coverage and psychometric properties measuring key concepts in the conceptual model. All PROs reviewed, except for three Lupus-specific measures, lacked qualitative SLE patient involvement during development. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form [36 item] Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2), EuroQoL 5-dimensions (EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L) and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: Lupus (WPAI:Lupus) showed suitability for SLE economic models.Conclusions: Based on the identification of key symptoms and impacts of SLE using a scientifically sound conceptual model, we conclude that SLE is a condition associated with high unmet need and considerable burden to patients. This review highlights the availability and need for disease-specific and generic patient-reported measures of relevant domains of disease signs and symptoms, HRQoL and work productivity, providing useful insight for SLE clinical trial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]