OBJECTIVE Costly biologic therapies have improved function and quality of life for patients suffering from rheumatic and inflammatory bowel diseases. In this survey, we aimed to document and analyze the costs. METHODS In 2008, the total costs of tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors and other biologic agents in Norway were registered prospectively. In addition to costs, the pattern of use in...

In England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has provided guidance [technology appraisals (TAs) 130, 186, 195, 198 and 225] on the use of biologic drugs for the treatment of RA. This is based on an analysis of efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness, and has resulted in a complex management pathway that restricts freedom to prescribe biologics according...

BACKGROUND Biologic agents have revolutionized the management of psoriasis but at a higher cost compared with "traditional" agents. Cost must be considered when evaluating management options for psoriasis. OBJECTIVE To estimate the annual cost of treatment of psoriasis using biologic agents and assess the trend over the past decade. METHODS The cost of annual treatment paradigms for etanerc...

The last decade has seen the advent of a variety of novel biologic agents, which are now used widely across a range of the inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Normally introduced after the trial and failure of conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) the biologic class of medicines has been a revolutionary in terms of the scope and depth of response now sought in treating rheum...

n engl j med 357;21 www.nejm.org november 22, 2007 2186 phatases that are haplodeficient in the del(5q) clone.7 The key role of phosphatases in the regulation of ligand–receptor signaling might explain the broad range and lineage dependency of the biologic effects of immunomodulatory drugs. Lenalidomide and the immunomodulatory drugs stand as prime examples of potentially dangerous chemical com...

The preoperative care of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and treated with biologic agents is of great significance.Perioperative use of biologic agents could lead to such complications as infection and delayed postoperative woundhealing. This narrative review aimed to evaluate the current information on the use of biologic agents in patientsundergoing orthopedic surgery...