Vol. 1 No. 7 (2021)
Health Technology Reviews

Initiation of Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Budget Impact Analysis

Published July 13, 2021

Key Messages

  • There is variation across Canadian jurisdictions in time to the initiation of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) therapy among adults with rheumatoid arthritis.
  • From a pan-Canadian perspective, harmonizing time to bDMARD initiation across jurisdictions may result in savings to publicly funded drug plans in some jurisdictions but increased drug expenditures in others.
  • The extent of savings or increased costs is dependent on jurisdiction, the number of new bDMARD users, and whether patients receive a biosimilar or originator bDMARD.