AN ECONOMIC PRICE ANALYSIS OF CONVENTIONAL REMISSION THERAPY VS BIOLOGICAL THERAPY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TREATMENT

Rheumatoid arthritis represents the most common inflammatory rheumatism, affecting about 1% of the general population. Inappropriately untreated usually has a progressively aggressive perspective, generating pain and joint inflammation and functional disability. The severity of the disease results from the fact that more than 50% of patients cease their professional activity in the first 5 years of the disease and 10% of cases show severe disability in the first two years of evolution. The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative price analysis between a conventional remission therapy and a biological therapy for rheumatoid arthritis in Romania. Biologics are huge financial burden due to their high price, large number of patients and the considerable budget impact. The data was obtained from the official pages of National Health Insurance House in Romania up to date December 2018, and also the algorithm treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is followed. Conventional remission therapy is 30-100 times cheaper than biological therapy. The results show that two out of eight INNs (International non-proprietary name or a generic name) have authorized biosimilars (similar biological medicinal product) in Romania, despite of bigger number of authorized biosimilars in EMA (European Medicines Agency) for rheumatoid arthritis. Biosimilars’ prices have a 19.66-29.68% reduction in the price of biologics. Introduction of biosimilars on the Romanian market will lead to significant decrease in reimbursed prices paid by public funds and thus increase the patients’ access to biological therapy.