Tocilizumab use in giant cell arteritis: comparing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme eligible and ineligible cases in South Australia.
Intern Med J
; 54(7): 1228-1232, 2024 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38953308
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.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Arteritis de Células Gigantes
/
Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados
Límite:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Intern Med J
Asunto de la revista:
MEDICINA INTERNA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Australia