Factors associated with initial or subsequent choice of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Background Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are increasingly used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. However, little is known based on contemporary data about the factors associated with DMARDs and patterns of use of biologic DMARDs for initial and subsequent RA treatment. Methods We conducted an observational cohort study using claims data from a commercial health plan (2004-2013) and Medicaid (2000-2010) in three study groups: patients with early untreated RA who were naive to any type of DMARD and patients with prevalent RA with or without prior exposure to one... Mehr ...