Epidemiology, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and disease burden among patients with immune‐mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in the United States

Immune‐mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a life‐threatening thrombotic microangiopathy. Due to its rarity, epidemiology and real‐world outcomes data are scarce.

The aim was to assess epidemiology, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and disease burden in patients with iTTP in the United States.

This longitudinal, retrospective observational study of the Optum‐Humedica database included patients with an iTTP diagnosis (≥1 documented ADAMTS13 activity less than 10% or one or more iTTP episodes) from January 2007 to December 2019.

Of 666 patients with an iTTP diagnosis between October 2015 and December 2019, 302 (45%) had one or more iTTP episodes. The pooled annual incidence of documented iTTP during this period was 3.43/million, and the annual incidence of one or more iTTP episodes was 1.81/million. Patients with one or more iTTP episodes received a median of six therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) sessions per episode; 86% received corticosteroids, and 59% received rituximab. Exacerbations occurred in 17% (52/302) and relapse in 11% (34/302); 34% (103/302) had one or more thromboembolic events. Mortality rates during the study period were 25% (167/666) among all patients with iTTP diagnosis, and 14% (41/302) among patients with one or more iTTP episodes. In the assessment of disease burden (January 2007 to September 2019), patients in the iTTP cohort (n = 514) presented with a mean of 14 comorbidities, compared with 3 in a matched non‐iTTP cohort (n = 2570). In a cluster analysis, duration of iTTP episode and mortality rate were greater in older versus younger patients.

Despite treatment with TPE and immunosuppressants, patients with iTTP have high risk of morbidity and mortality, demonstrating the need for more effective therapies.