Cost effectiveness of etoricoxib versus celecoxib and non-selective NSAIDS in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

To evaluate the cost effectiveness of etoricoxib (90 mg/day) relative to celecoxib (200 or 400 mg/day), and the non-selective NSAIDs naproxen (1000 mg/day) and diclofenac (150 mg/day) in the initial treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) from the UK NHS perspective. A Bayesian cost-effectiveness model was developed to estimate the costs and benefits associated with initiating AS treatment with etoricoxib, celecoxib, diclofenac or naproxen. Efficacy, safety and medical resource and cost data were obtained from the literature.

Economic evaluation of etoricoxib versus non-selective NSAIDs in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in the UK.

Objectives: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of etoricoxib, a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitor, versus non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsNSAIDs) in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: The cost-effectiveness of etoricoxib versus nsNSAIDs was evaluated from the UK National Health Service (NHS) and society perspective with a decision-analytic model. Patients stayed on initial therapy throughout 52 weeks unless they experienced an adverse event (AE) or lacked efficacy, in which case they switched to another nsNSAID or a tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist.

Defective Fc-dependent processing of immune complexes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To explore the Fc receptor-dependent handling of immune complexes (ICs) by the fixed mononuclear phagocytic systems (MPS) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: The processing in vivo of soluble model (123)I-hepatitis B/ anti-hepatitis B ICs was studied in 12 healthy subjects and 10 patients with active SLE. ICs that fixed complement poorly were prepared specifically in order to explore Fc receptor-dependent clearance mechanisms.