BACKGROUND Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are increasingly used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. However, little is known based on contemporary data about the factors associated with DMARDs and patterns of use of biologic DMARDs for initial and subsequent RA treatment. METHODS We conducted an observational cohort study using claims data from a commercial healt...

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to describe treatment changes (discontinuation, switching, and therapy add-on) following the initiation of biologic or nonbiologic oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. METHODS Adult patients with ≥2 PsA diagnoses from physician office visits, initiated on a biologic or nonbiologic oral DMARD, were selected fro...

BACKGROUND Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis has a serious effect on health-related quality of life. Patients treated with biologic medications place importance on satisfaction and treatment frequency options. We assessed patient-reported treatment satisfaction and dosing frequency choice with biologics. METHODS We used a health care claims database to identify patients with moderate to sev...

BACKGROUND Biologic therapies represent a significant advance in the treatment of psoriasis. However, no studies have examined the patient characteristics predictive of biologic treatment of psoriasis. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the frequency and predictors of treatment of psoriasis with biologics in three European countries, ie, France, Spain, and the UK. METHODS This was a c...

OBJECTIVE This paper will establish the rationale for developing a long-term cost model to assess the utilization and associated economics of biologic agents in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. This information should assist with defining the total cost of drug treatment when using biologic therapy to treat psoriasis. SUMMARY The development of biologic therapies has effected th...

The traditional management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) includes NSAIDs, corticosteroids and DMARDs. Advancement in the knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of PsA has been associated with the development of biologic agents which have revolutionized the management of the disease. Among biologics drugs, there are the 4 currently available anti-TNFα blocking agents (etanercept, infliximab, adalimu...

Background: With a growing number of psoriasis treatments options, making a decision can be daunting to patients. Biologics offer a less toxic and more effective alternative to people who have moderate-to-severe psoriasis, particularly those who have tried and failed other therapies. Objective: To provide a patient-centered approach to the decision to start on biologic treatment of psoriasis wi...

Joint injuries are becoming increasingly common, with young adults between the ages of 1844 seeking medical attention for joint sprains, dislocation, fractures, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal tears, and others. The cascade of events that follow these joint injuries have been shown to increase the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) by 2050% (Anderson et al,2011). Therefo...