Patient access to rheumatoid arthritis treatments

Excerpt

This report reviews one of the most striking advances in medical science and health care during the past 10 years: the introduction of new drugs for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The review is undertaken from a medical as well as an economic perspective, reflecting that whereas everybody acknowledges the importance of therapeutic progress for patients, issues about the costs involved have raised concerns. Drug costs for the treatment of RA have increased more than tenfold in a short period—to more than €10 billion—and are expected to reach €15 billion by the year 2012. As this also, to a large extent, represents a transfer of money from public health insurers and governments to multinational pharmaceutical firms, questions regarding pricing and the value of innovation have been put forward and need answers. …