CLINICAL RESPONSE AT WEEK 52 AND COSTS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS USING BIOLOGICAL THERAPY IN A SPECIALIZED CENTER IN COLOMBIA

• Published in: Value in health Vol. 20; no. 5; p. A144
• Main Authors: Santos-Moreno, P, Villarreal, L, Aza, A, Jaimes, H, Jaimes, J, Castro, C, Buitrago-Garcia, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrenceville Elsevier Science Ltd 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Autoimmune diseases; Cost analysis; Disability; Early retirement; Epidemiology; Etanercept; Immunotherapy; Infliximab; Monoclonal antibodies; Normality; Patients; Productivity; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rituximab; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Colombia
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.05.005
• ISSN: 1098-3015

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a prevalence of 1% in general population. Due to the course of disease patients have progressive disability that causes productivity losses and early retirement leading to great expenses for society. Biological treatment for RA has been proved as an effective treatment but it is associated with high costs. We describe the costs of biological therapy in patients with RA in a specialized center. METH­ODS: We conducted a real-world, retrospective, cross-sectional study, we included patients with biological therapy; they were followed-up during 52 weeks and treated according to Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28). Descriptive epidemiology was done; means were analyzed using t-Student performing a normality test for DAS28 and overall therapy costs were assessed. RESULTS: 684 patients were included; mean DAS28 at begining of therapy was 3.1 ± 1.1; the majority of patients received Adalimumab 16% followed by Etanercept 25 mg 12%, Tocilizumab, Infliximab and Rituximab 11%, Abatacept IV 10%, Etanercept 50 mg 10%, Certolizumab and Golimumab 7%, Tofacitinib 3% and Abatacept SC 2%. The most expensive biologic treatment was Golimumab (USD 12.770/year) followed by Certolizumab (USD 10.357), Etanercept 25 mg and 50 mg (USD 10.347), Tofacitinib (USD 9.811) Adalimumab ( USD 9.799), Abatacept SC (USD 9.656) Tocilizumab ( USD 8.795). Abatacept IV (USD 8.330 Infliximab (USD 6.564) and Rituximab (USD 4.427). When the progression of the disease was compared at week 52, most of patients went from a DAS28 of 3.1 ± 1.1 to a mean DAS28 of 2.4 ± 0.8 using biological therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The use of biologic therapies in the treatment of RA is effective but continues to be associated with high costs of biological therapy is to carefully evaluate patients that will receive this medications, nonetheless further research based on cost-effectiveness analysis is needed to verify these results.20