Impact of initiation of asenapine on patterns of utilization and cost of healthcare resources associated with the treatment of bipolar I disorder

To assess the impact of initiation of asenapine on "real-world" levels of utilization and cost of healthcare services for the treatment of bipolar I disorder (BPD) in the US. Using two large US healthcare claims databases that collectively included commercially insured patients aged < 65 years and Medicare enrollees, this study identified all adults (≥18 years) with evidence of BPD who began therapy with asenapine between 2009-2012. The date of the earliest claim for asenapine during this period was deemed the 'index date', and patients without continuous enrollment for the 6-month periods before and after this date were excluded ('pre-index' and 'post-index', respectively). Healthcare claims with a BPD diagnosis, plus psychiatric medications and the costs thereof (2012 dollars) were deemed 'BPD-related'. Differences in BPD-related utilization and cost of healthcare services were compared between the pre- and post-index periods. A total of 1403 patients met all selection criteria; the mean age was 42.8 years and 70.6% were women. Relative to pre-index, significant decreases were noted in post-index use of BPD-related healthcare services, most notably admissions (from 24.0% to 12.3% during the post-index period) and emergency department visits (from 4.6% to 2.6%) (both p