Factors for starting biosimilar TNF inhibitors in patients with rheumatic diseases in the real world.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:To identify factors for starting biosimilar TNF inhibitors (TNFI) in patients with rheumatic diseases. METHODS AND FINDING:Using a national claims database, we identified patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who had used TNFIs since they were approved in Korea in 2004. We assessed changes in the proportion of each form of TNFI used between 2004 and 2017. We then selected patients starting on TNFIs between 2013 and 2017 to identify factors for starting biosimilars. In RA (n = 4,216), biosimilars were more likely to be initiated in clinics [odds ratio (OR) 2.54] and in the metropolitan area (OR, 2.02), but were less likely to be initiated in general hospitals (OR 0.40) or orthopedics (OR 0.44). In AS (n = 2,338), biosimilars were common at the hos

SUBMITTER: Sung YK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6980538 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature