Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33725091›Full record

Trial reportRheumatology (Oxford, England)2021

Comparing cost-utility of DMARDs in autoantibody-negative rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Luurssen-Masurel Nathalie, Van Elise Mulligen, Weel Angelique Elisabeth Adriana Maria, Hazes Johanna Maria Wilhelmina, de Jong Pascal Hendrik Pieter, tREACH group investigators

Erratum issuedAbstract readClinical TrialComparative StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Luurssen-Masurel NathalieDepartment of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center.
Van Elise MulligenDepartment of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center.
Weel Angelique Elisabeth Adriana MariaDepartment of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center.
Hazes Johanna Maria WilhelminaDepartment of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center.
de Jong Pascal Hendrik PieterDepartment of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center.
tREACH group investigators

Funding

Pfizer WI229707
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo evaluate the 1-year cost-effectiveness between three different initial treatment strategies in autoantibody-negative RA patients, according to 2010 criteria.

methodsFor this analysis we selected all RA patients within the intermediate probability stratum of the treatment in the Rotterdam Early Arthritis Cohort (tREACH) trial. The tREACH had a treat-to-target approach, aiming for low DAS <2.4, and treatment adjustments could occur every 3 months. Initial treatment strategies consisted of MTX 25 mg/week (initial MTX, iMTX), iHCQ 400 mg/day or an oral glucocorticoids tapering scheme without DMARDs (iGCs). Data on quality-adjusted life-years, measured with the European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions 3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L), healthcare and productivity costs were used.

resultsAverage quality-adjusted life-years (s.d.), for iMTX, iHCQ and iGCs were respectively 0.71 (0.14), 0.73 (0.14) and 0.71 (0.15). The average total costs (s.d.) for iMTX, iHCQ and iGCs were, respectively, €10 832 (14.763), €11 208 (12.801) and €10 502 (11.973). Healthcare costs were mainly determined by biological costs, which were significantly lower in the iHCQ group compared with iGCs (P < 0.05). However, costs due to presenteeism were the highest in the iHCQ group (55%) followed by iMTX (27%) and iGCs (18%). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios did not differ between treatment strategies. At a willingness-to-pay level of €50 000, the Dutch threshold for reimbursement of medical care, iHCQ had the highest probability (38.7%) of being cost-effective, followed by iGCs (31.1%) and iMTX (30.2%).

conclusioniHCQ had the lowest healthcare and highest productivity costs, resulting in a non-significant incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. However, iHCQ had the highest chance of being cost-effective at the Dutch willingness-to-pay threshold for healthcare reimbursement. Therefore, we believe that iHCQ is a good alternative to iMTX in autoantibody-negative RA patients, but validation is needed. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN26791028.

Indexed as

Quality-Adjusted Life YearsAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidAutoantibodiesCost-Benefit AnalysisFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth Care CostsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSingle-Blind MethodAntirheumatic AgentsAutoantibodiesautoantigens and autoantibodiescost-utility analysiseconomic evaluationhealthcare and productivity costsQALYRAworker productivity

Identifiers

PMID33725091
PMCPMC8645278

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.