The emerging role of gammaCore ® in the management of cluster headache: expert panel recommendations.

The emerging role of gammaCore® in the management of cluster headache: expert panel recommendations. Am J Manag Care. 2017 Nov;23(17 Suppl):S326-S333 Authors: Silberstein SD, Calhoun AH, Treppendahl C, Dodick DW, Rapoport AM, Mamidi A, Vargas P, Ebert TH, Tepper SJ Abstract A panel of 9 experts, including neurologists, other headache specialists, and medical and pharmacy directors, from 4 health plans (1 integrated delivery network and 3 plans with commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid lines of business), convened to discuss cluster headache (CH). Topics covered included the current treatment landscape, treatment challenges, economic impact of disease, and gaps in care for patients with CH. One major challenge in the management of CH is that it is underrecognized and frequently misdiagnosed, leading to delays in and suboptimal treatment for patients who suffer from this painful and disabling condition. The management of CH is challenging due to the lack of a robust evidence base for preventive treatment, the adverse events (AEs) associated with conventional preventive treatments, the variability of response to acute treatments, and the challenging reimbursement landscape for well-accepted treatments (eg, oxygen). The lack of effective prevention for many patients may lead to the excessive use of acute therapies, often multiple times each day, which drives the cost of illness up significantly. The goal of the panel discussion was to dis...
Source: The American Journal of Managed Care - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Am J Manag Care Source Type: research