Real-World Pharmacological Treatment Pattern of Neuropathic Pain in China

Diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) are common subtypes of neuropathic pain. The treatment pattern, subsequent medication usage, and adherence information of medication among these patients are still not clear. There is also an unmet need for the use of relevant analgesic medications in this area. This real-world data study aims to understand patients' characteristics, clinical diagnosis and treatment patterns, medication adherence, real-world effectiveness among DPNP and CIPN patients in China and will explore the current unmet needs of DPNP and CIPN, in order to inform physicians' decision-making in clinical practice

Participants who meet all the following criteria will be included in the DPNP cohort.

• Participants were diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy and presented with the pain symptom between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2021;
• Participants received at least one targeted medication between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2021;
• Participants were ≥18 years on the index date;
• Participants had at least one medical visit record within 12 months after the index date

Participants who meet any one of the following criteria will be excluded from the DPNP cohort.

(1) Participants were diagnosed with epilepsy, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder before or on the index date

Participants who meet all the following criteria will be included in the CIPN cohort.

• Participants had neuropathy that was induced by the chemotherapy between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2021, regardless of the presence of pain symptoms;
• Participants received at least one targeted medication between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2021;
• Participants were ≥18 years on the index date;
• Participants had at least one medical visit record within12 months after the index date

Participants who meet any one of the following criteria will be excluded from the CIPN cohort.

• Participants were diagnosed with epilepsy, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder before or on the index date;
• Participants had neuralgia or neuropathy caused by tumor metastasis or non-chemotherapy-induced factors (e.g., radiotherapy, myasthenia gravis syndrome, paraneoplastic syndrome, direct tumor invasion, local tissue compression, postoperative traumatic pain, immune therapy-related pain, comorbidity-induced pain, etc.)