Efficacy and Economic Benefit of Combination Therapy with Boiogito and Methotrexate for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
10.3937/kampomed.64.319
- VernacularTitle:関節リウマチに対するメソトレキサートと防已黄耆湯の長期併用効果と経済的有用性
- Author:
Shuji OHNO
;
Yuji AKIYAMA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
rheumatoid arthritis;
methotrexate;
boiogito;
economic benefit
- From:Kampo Medicine
2013;64(6):319-325
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
The purpose of this 3-year retrospective study was to determine the efficacy and economic benefit of boiogito when administered concurrently with methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One hundred twenty-six patients who were treated at Ohno Clinic between May 2006 and November 2011 with either the MTX-boiogito combination (n = 59) or MTX alone (n = 67) were identified for the study. Eligible patients were selected on the basis of the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and their disease activity, while their remission rates and treatment outcomes were evaluated using the Disease Activity Score 28 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (DAS 28-ESR). A total of 93 patients (MTX-boiogito group,n = 45 ; MTX alone group, n = 48) were included in the statistical analysis after excluding those who prematurely withdrew from the study due to adverse events or conditions that required treatment with biological agents.
Our results showed that the MTX-boiogito group had significantly lower disease activity (p = 0.0372),higher rates of remission (p = 0.0093), and greater improvement in overall DAS 28-ESR score (p = 0.0050) when compared to the MTX alone group. With the combination therapy group, fewer patients needed to add further disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and the total cost of medications over the 3 years was lower (2,145,470 JPY vs 2,301,690 JPY) with a resultant savings of 156,220 JPY per person. In conclusion, the use of boiogito 7.5 g/day represents a clinically and economically important addition to MTX therapy for the treatment of RA.
