To assess the cost-effectiveness of infliximab-containing therapy (ICT) for moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a medium-sized Chinese city.
A Chinese prospective cohort study comparing ICT (25 patients) versus conventional disease-modified antirheumatic drugs (24 patients) for RA was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of ICT.
The cohort study observed significantly reduced disease activity score of 28 joints (coefficient -2.718, p < 0.001), improved EQ-5D (coefficient 0.453, p < 0.001) and increased medical costs (coefficient 1.289, p < 0.001) associated with ICT. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio per gained quality-adjusted life year for ICT versus disease-modified antirheumatic drugs was 1.897-times of the local gross domestic product per capita.
Infliximab was a favorable cost-effective alternative option for moderate-to-severe RA in a medium-sized city of China.