Persistence and compliance of deferoxamine versus deferasirox in Medicaid patients with sickle-cell disease

Abstract

Based on a Medicaid population, patients treated with deferasirox were more compliant and persistent with their treatment than those treated with DFO. Frequency of hospitalizations was significantly reduced after treatment initiation for the any-deferasirox and deferasirox-only groups. Prospective studies controlling for potential clinical and treatment pattern differences between deferasirox and DFO patients are needed to assess whether the decreased hospitalizations after initiation of deferasirox are related to better treatment compliance.