Rituximab gives standard RA therapies a run for their money

Several studies presented at the 11th International Meeting of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US; May 2006] indicate that rituximab represents value for money, compared with standard therapies, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The studies evaluated rituximab plus methotrexate added to a standard treatment sequence in patients who had an inadequate response to tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonists, in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Including rituximab in the sequence was shown to be cost effective with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of < euro22 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, falling below commonly accepted thresholds in these countries.