In Saudi Arabia, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with wild-type RAS mutations may be treated with either cetuximab plus chemotherapy (CET + CT) or panitumumab plus chemotherapy (PAN + CT), which are epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies. This study calculated the costs of adverse event (AE) management linked to anti-EGFR treatment in Saudi Arabia's national health budget from payer and societal perspectives. An adaptation of a global model developed in Microsoft Excel® was performed to estimate the costs of AE management associated with the first-line treatment (CET + CT and PAN + CT) of RAS wild-type mCRC patients in Saudi healthcare settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPresently, Gulf Cooperation Council countries are lagging in the generation of real-world data and use of real-world evidence for patient-centered care compared with the global average. In a collaborative effort, experts from multiple domains of the healthcare environment from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries came together to present their views and recommended key action points for the generation of robust real-world data and leveraging real-world evidence in the countries. The opinions of the experts are presented, along with existing barriers to the effective generation of real-world evidence in the countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article focuses on the diagnosis and management of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). NMOSD is an autoimmune, demyelinating condition characterized by inflammation of the optic nerve and/or the spinal cord, with symptoms that can range from mild impairment of movement to paralysis. The newly approved diagnostic criteria have improved the accuracy of NMOSD diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiple sclerosis (MS) most commonly presents in young adults, although 3-5% of patients develop MS prior to the age of 18 years. The new and comprehensive consensus for the management of MS in Saudi Arabia includes recommendations for the management of MS and other CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorders in pediatric and adolescent patients. This article summarizes the key recommendations for the diagnosis and management of these disorders in young patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: The Middle East (ME) has a high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), driven by obesity and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Studies in Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) predict an escalating impact of NAFLD/NASH, particularly advanced fibrosis due to NASH (AF-NASH), increasing cases of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. The scale of this burden in other ME countries is unknown with no reports of NAFLD/NASH healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) or costs.
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