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Tocilizumab use in giant cell arteritis: comparing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme eligible and ineligible cases in South Australia.
- Source :
-
Internal Medicine Journal . Jul2024, Vol. 54 Issue 7, p1228-1232. 5p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Tocilizumab (TCZ) is increasingly used as a steroid‐sparing agent in giant cell arteritis (GCA), but there are strict Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) restrictions for its use in Australia. Patients who do not meet the PBS criteria can obtain TCZ through public hospital individual patient use (IPU) schemes which may not be universally accessible. We compared patients receiving IPU‐approved TCZ with patients receiving PBS‐subsidised TCZ and found IPU approvals were granted mainly for visual loss, a serious complication of GCA, in patients who otherwise failed to meet PBS criteria. Further studies demonstrating that TCZ is comparatively more effective than prednisolone monotherapy, as well as cost‐effective, are needed to substantiate the rationale for expanding PBS approval criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *THERAPEUTIC use of monoclonal antibodies
*HEALTH services accessibility
*AUDITING
*VISION disorders
*COST analysis
*FISHER exact test
*GIANT cell arteritis
*RETROSPECTIVE studies
*MANN Whitney U Test
*PREDNISOLONE
*MONOCLONAL antibodies
*ELIGIBILITY (Social aspects)
*TOCILIZUMAB
*PHARMACEUTICAL services insurance
*COMPARATIVE studies
*DATA analysis software
*MEDICAL care costs
*DISEASE complications
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14440903
- Volume :
- 54
- Issue :
- 7
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Internal Medicine Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 178469165
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.16419