Introduction

Excerpt

The last decade has seen the introduction of highly effective biologic agents to treat a number of inflammatory rheumatologic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. When inadequately controlled, these chronic, usually life-long conditions have a major long-term impact on the health and health-related quality of life of patients. The introduction of these new biologicals, primarily TNF antagonists, has led to markedly improved long-term prognoses for the patients and also to substantial increases in the costs of treating these conditions. As a result, there are patients who could benefit significantly from treatment with these agents but who are currently unable to receive them due to restrictions on their use. The balance between optimal therapy and cost considerations has become an important issue for many rheumatologists and other healthcare providers. …