Factors influencing prescribing the first add-on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients initiating methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Advances in Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) have expanded the treatment landscape for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Guidelines recommend adding either conventional synthetic (cs), biologic (b), or targeted synthetic (ts) DMARDs to methotrexate (MTX) for managing RA. Limited evidence exists regarding the factors that contribute to adding a DMARD agent to the MTX regimen. This study examined the factors associated with adding the first DMARD in RA patients initiating MTX.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study utilized the MarketScan data (2012-2014) involving adults (aged ≥18) with RA initiating an MTX (index date) between Jul 1, 2012 and Dec 30, 2013, and with continuous enrollment for the 6-month pre-index period. The combination therapy users receiv

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10372178 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature