Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region

Background & Objectives: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not always accessible to all patients in accordance with international guidelines, partly owing to their high direct costs against a background of restricted hea...

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Main Authors: Zoltán Kaló, Zoltán Vokó, Andrew Östör, Emma Clifton-Brown, Radu Vasilescu, Alysia Battersby, Edward Gibson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2017-01-01
Series:Journal of Market Access & Health Policy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20016689.2017.1345580
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author Zoltán Kaló
Zoltán Vokó
Andrew Östör
Emma Clifton-Brown
Radu Vasilescu
Alysia Battersby
Edward Gibson
author_facet Zoltán Kaló
Zoltán Vokó
Andrew Östör
Emma Clifton-Brown
Radu Vasilescu
Alysia Battersby
Edward Gibson
author_sort Zoltán Kaló
collection DOAJ
description Background & Objectives: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not always accessible to all patients in accordance with international guidelines, partly owing to their high direct costs against a background of restricted healthcare budgets. This study compares the size of RA patient populations with access to reimbursed bDMARDs across 37 European countries, Russia, and Turkey, according to their treatment eligibility defined by European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations and national reimbursement criteria. Methods: The size of the RA patient population eligible for bDMARD treatment was estimated in a population model using published RA epidemiological data and clinical criteria defined by 2013 EULAR recommendations along with national reimbursement criteria defined in a survey of the 39 countries in November 2015. Results: According to EULAR recommendations, 32% of the total RA population in the European region is eligible for bDMARD treatment. However, only an average 59% of this EULAR-eligible population remains eligible after applying national reimbursement criteria (from 86% in ‘high access’ to 13% in ‘low-access’ countries). Conclusion: Access to reimbursed bDMARDs remains unequal in the European region. As biosimilars of bDMARDs are introduced, changes in reimbursement criteria may increase access to bDMARDs and reduce this inequality.
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spelling doaj-art-3543e6bba6874e06808d97ba0b2ff0b32025-08-20T03:55:16ZengMDPI AGJournal of Market Access & Health Policy2001-66892017-01-015110.1080/20016689.2017.13455801345580Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European regionZoltán Kaló0Zoltán Vokó1Andrew Östör2Emma Clifton-Brown3Radu Vasilescu4Alysia Battersby5Edward Gibson6Eötvös Loránd UniversityEötvös Loránd UniversityRheumatology Clinical Research Unit, Addenbrookes HospitalGlobal Health & Value, Pfizer LtdGlobal Health & Value, Pfizer LtdWickenstonesWickenstonesBackground & Objectives: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not always accessible to all patients in accordance with international guidelines, partly owing to their high direct costs against a background of restricted healthcare budgets. This study compares the size of RA patient populations with access to reimbursed bDMARDs across 37 European countries, Russia, and Turkey, according to their treatment eligibility defined by European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations and national reimbursement criteria. Methods: The size of the RA patient population eligible for bDMARD treatment was estimated in a population model using published RA epidemiological data and clinical criteria defined by 2013 EULAR recommendations along with national reimbursement criteria defined in a survey of the 39 countries in November 2015. Results: According to EULAR recommendations, 32% of the total RA population in the European region is eligible for bDMARD treatment. However, only an average 59% of this EULAR-eligible population remains eligible after applying national reimbursement criteria (from 86% in ‘high access’ to 13% in ‘low-access’ countries). Conclusion: Access to reimbursed bDMARDs remains unequal in the European region. As biosimilars of bDMARDs are introduced, changes in reimbursement criteria may increase access to bDMARDs and reduce this inequality.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20016689.2017.1345580Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs)rheumatoid arthritisreimbursementbiosimilars
spellingShingle Zoltán Kaló
Zoltán Vokó
Andrew Östör
Emma Clifton-Brown
Radu Vasilescu
Alysia Battersby
Edward Gibson
Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
Journal of Market Access & Health Policy
Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs)
rheumatoid arthritis
reimbursement
biosimilars
title Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
title_full Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
title_fullStr Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
title_full_unstemmed Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
title_short Patient access to reimbursed biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the European region
title_sort patient access to reimbursed biological disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in the european region
topic Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs)
rheumatoid arthritis
reimbursement
biosimilars
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20016689.2017.1345580
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