Greiner RA, Braathen LR. Eur J Dermatol 2009;19:494–9.
A number of biological agents have been approved for the treatment of psoriasis in many countries. However, in some countries, these treatments are seen as prohibitively expensive, or are only covered under medical insurance for short-term treatment of the conditions. This latter situation is the case in Switzerland, and in the present study the authors analyzed the cost-effectiveness of these treatments in this context to determine the best value for money treatment.
The cost of biological treatment of psoriasis is a matter of concern. In many countries, such as several Eastern European countries, the drugs are not available due to their high price, and even in affluent countries the use of the biological therapies is restricted. This article demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of the biological agents etanercept, efalizumab, adalimumab, infliximab, and alefacept; these data were calculated in Switzerland as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per patient who achieved a 50% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI-50), PASI-75, and PASI-90.