Regional Variance of the Early Use of Tolvaptan for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Background: The development and prompt dissemination of the first drug against a particular disease can contribute to improvements in national health status and medical economy endpoints and are assumedly affected by socioeconomic factors that have yet to be analyzed. Tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist, was developed to treat hyponatremia, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis ascites, although the approved indications may differ among countries. In Japan, high-dose tolvaptan tablets were approved as the first drug for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in 2014. This study aimed to better understand the factors that influence the total number of regional prescriptions of tolvaptan for ADPKD since its launch. Methods: The National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) Open Data was utilized as a national claim-based database. In each of the 47 prefectures in Japan, the total prescribed number of 30 mg tolvaptan tablets between 2015 and 2017 was examined. The parameters explaining the prescription variation among regions were then examined by correlation analysis. Results: Prescriptions for high-dose tolvaptan increased substantially 2 years after the drug9s approval; however, the increase differed by approximately 21-fold between regions. Population density was positively associated with prescribed 30 mg tolvaptan tablets per 1000 population in 2015 (r = 0.47, p