13 May 2019 - Cost-effectiveness models for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis first emerged in the early 2000s when highly effective but also high-cost biologic therapies began to reach patients. However, these health technology assessment models need improvement, a recent paper says.

Cost-effectiveness models for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) first emerged in the early 2000s when highly effective but also high-cost biologic therapies began to reach patients. However, these models need improvement, a recent paper says.

According to the paper, which appeared in Plos One, current health technology assessments (HTAs) for RA rely on disease activity measures that are not aligned to guideline-recommended target measures of remission, and they may even be biased in favor of certain therapies insofar as they privilege measures like C-reactive protein reduction (an outcome particularly achieved with interleukin-6 inhibitors).

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