Healthcare providers place the greatest weight on drowsiness risk and short-term symptom improvement when choosing treatments for tardive dyskinesia (TD) in patients aged 55 and older, according to new data released by Teva Pharmaceuticals.

 

The findings, presented at Psych Congress in New Orleans, come from a discrete choice experiment involving 489 healthcare professionals across a range of specialties. The study examined which attributes providers prioritize when selecting a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor for older patients with TD.

 

According to Teva, somnolence risk accounted for 26.8% to 36.2% of treatment decision-making weight, while short-term improvement on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale accounted for 24.4% to 29.5%.

 

Dose formulation, drug-drug interaction risk and evidence of long-term response followed as additional factors influencing treatment choices.

 

“At the heart of every treatment decision for tardive dyskinesia is a patient looking for improvement in their burdensome physical symptoms, and the impact those symptoms have on daily life,” said Eric Hughes, Executive Vice President, Global R&D and Chief Medical Officer at Teva. 

 

“At Teva, we’re committed to developing therapies and delivering clinical solutions for TD communities that help eliminate challenges to treat. Offering a treatment like AUSTEDO, with attributes healthcare providers value, is essential to delivering effective, patient-centered care.”

 

Teva said its analysis found that AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine) had the highest predicted choice probability across all four patient profiles examined.

 

The company said that preference was driven primarily by the treatment's somnolence risk, the duration of available data demonstrating long-term response and its drug-drug interaction profile.

 

The study also found that prescribing priorities shifted depending on the patient's care setting. Somnolence risk carried greater decision-making weight among outpatients, including former long-term-care patients, than among patients being treated in long-term-care settings.

 

“Selecting a treatment for those living with tardive dyskinesia involves weighing a range of factors, from symptom improvement and tolerability to practical considerations,” said Gustavo Alva, board-certified psychiatrist. 

 

“By shedding light on the attributes healthcare professionals prioritize, these findings may support more informed, individualized treatment discussions and provide healthcare providers with greater confidence in selecting a TD treatment that addresses immediate patient needs and supports long-term treatment success.”

 

A separate interim analysis presented at Psych Congress examined 24-month data from the IMPACT-TD Registry, focusing on people with probable TD who remained untreated with a VMAT2 inhibitor.

 

The analysis found that the burden of TD persisted over the two-year period. Teva reported that approximately 89% to 96% of participants experienced at least a mild global impact from TD, while 60% to 74% experienced a moderate-to-severe impact.

 

Between 55% and 69% of participants reported TD severity that was either stable or worse than at baseline, with the analysis finding no evidence of spontaneous resolution. Depression and anxiety scores fluctuated during the two years without sustained improvement.

 

Together, Teva said, the findings highlight the continuing burden associated with TD and the factors healthcare providers consider when selecting treatment for older patients.