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Treatment adherence to pegvisomant in patients with acromegaly in Spain: PEGASO study

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Abstract

Purpose

The burden of chronic daily subcutaneous administration of pegvisomant on adherence has not been previously studied. This study was aimed to determine the adherence to pegvisomant treatment in acromegaly patients in the real-world clinical practice setting in Spain.

Methods

Multicenter, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study in patients with acromegaly treated with pegvisomant for at least 12 months. Patient adherence was indirectly determined by Batalla and Haynes-Sackett questionnaires and directly by prescription record review. Additionally, treatment satisfaction was assessed by the Treatment Satisfaction with Medicines Questionnaire (SATMED-Q) and treatment convenience by an ad-hoc Pegvisomant questionnaire. Errors in reconstitution and administration process were determined by direct observation.

Results

108 patients were included in the analysis. Rates of adherence varied from 60.7 to 92.1% and did not correlate with disease control. Older patient age and alternative schedules other than daily pegvisomant dosing were associated with lower adherence. Treatment satisfaction and convenience was high, with a mean (SD) total SATMED-Q score of 74.6 ± 15.4 over 100 and a total ad-hoc Pegvisomant questionnaire score of 71.2 ± 15.2 over 100. 34.3% of patients made mistakes during the reconstitution /administration process.

Conclusions

Patient adherence to pegvisomant was high (60.7–92.1%), but more than a third of the patients in the study made mistakes during the administration process, with a potential impact on disease control. Besides dosing compliance, correct administration of medication should be carefully assessed in these patients.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the investigators of PEGASO study and participant patients at Hospital Universitario La Paz (Dr. Cristina Álvarez), Hospital Universitario La Princesa (Dr. Ana Mª Ramos), Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya (Dr. Juan Antonio García-Arnés), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (Dr. Eva Venegas), Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe (Dr. Rosa Cámara), Hospital Universitario La Ribera (Dr. Carmen Fajardo), Hospital General Universitario de Valencia (Dr. Juan Carlos Ferrer), Hospital General Universitario de Alicante (Dr. Antonio Picó), Hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebrón (Dr. Jordi Mesa), Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge (Dr. Carles Villabona), Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro (Dr. Javier Aller), Hospital Universitario de Getafe (Dr. Isabel Pavón), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (Dr. Rogelio García), Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla (Dr. Fernando Pazos), Hospital Universitario de Cruces (Dra. Sonia Gaztambide), Hospital Universitario Basurto (Dr. Miguel Paja), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet (Dr. Javier Acha), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Santiago (Dr. Ignacio Bernabéu), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña (Dr. Fernando Cordido).

Funding

This study was funded by Pfizer (Spain). Medical writing support was provided by Esther Tapia PhD as a freelance medical writer and was funded by Pfizer (Spain).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Avenida de Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026, Valencia, Spain

    Rosa Cámara

  2. Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Avenida Manuel Siurot, s/n, 41013, Sevilla, Spain

    Eva Venegas

  3. Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya, Avenida de Carlos Haya, 29006, Málaga, Spain

    Juan Antonio García-Arnés

  4. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, As Xubias, 84, 15006, La Coruña, Spain

    Fernando Cordido

  5. Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Calle Manuel de Falla, 1, 28222, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    Javier Aller

  6. TFS Statistical Services, Avda. Europa, 20B. Parque Empresarial La Moraleja, 28108, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain

    M. Luz Samaniego

  7. Pfizer S.L.U, Avda. Europa, 20B. Parque Empresarial La Moraleja, 28108, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain

    Nuria Mir & Laura Sánchez-Cenizo

Authors
  1. Rosa Cámara
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  2. Eva Venegas
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  3. Juan Antonio García-Arnés
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  4. Fernando Cordido
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  5. Javier Aller
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  6. M. Luz Samaniego
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  7. Nuria Mir
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  8. Laura Sánchez-Cenizo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Sánchez-Cenizo.

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Conflict of interest

NM and LS-C are employees of Pfizer (Spain). MLS works for Pfizer (Spain). RC, EV, JAG-A, FC and JA have received compensation from Pfizer (Spain) for their participation as investigators of PEGASO study. RC has received compensation from Pfizer (Spain) for their participation as research coordinator of PEGASO study. RC, EV, FC and JA have received speaker honoraria from Pfizer (Spain).

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of every participant site. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Cámara, R., Venegas, E., García-Arnés, J.A. et al. Treatment adherence to pegvisomant in patients with acromegaly in Spain: PEGASO study. Pituitary 22, 137–145 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-019-00943-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-019-00943-1

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