Findings from a cost model成本模型，费用模型 suggest that expenses for systemic psoriasis牛皮癣，银屑病 therapy appear to be increasing at a faster rate than inflation, and newer biologically derived¹ treatments are more expensive than traditional systemic therapies, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Psoriasis is a chronic² autoimmune disease自身免疫病 that affects an estimated 4.5 million to 7.5 million Americans, costing the health care industry approximately more than $3 billion annually³, according to background information in the article. The severity of the disease varies, as do the therapies—some patients with mild, localized disease can use creams or other topical agents, whereas those with more extensive disease typically require phototherapy光线疗法 (exposure to ultraviolet light) or systemic therapies (substances that travel through the bloodstream, such as oral medications).

Vivianne Beyer, M.D., now at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, and Stephen E. Wolverton, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, constructed a cost model to analyze⁴ the current total cost of systemic therapy for psoriasis. Costs for each therapy were assessed by using the average wholesale⁵ price of each drug, as paid by third-party payers, and costs of related office visits, laboratory tests and related monitoring procedures were determined⁶ using Medicare fee schedules. Trends were analyzed⁷ by calculating the change in average wholesale price from the previous year and then were compared to the Consumer Price Index for urban areas.

"Current total and annual costs for systemic psoriasis therapies ranged from $1,197 (methotrexate [a traditional systemic therapy]) to $27,577 (alefacept [a biologic], two 12-week courses)," the authors write. Costs for phototherapy ranged from $3,083 to $7,288; for biologics, from $18,384 to $27,577.

"Trends in the average wholesale price of brand-name psoriasis therapies from 2000 through 2008 demonstrate an average increase of 66 percent (range, decrease of 24 percent to an increase of 316 percent); thus, costs of several brand-name psoriasis drugs greatly outpaced the rates of inflation for all items and all prescription⁸ drugs处方药," they continue. In the same timeframe, the urban Consumer Price Index for all items increased 25.8 percent and for all prescription drugs, 30.1 percent.

"Although the tendency of psoriasis drug costs to outpace超过 the Consumer Price Index-Urban rate is shared by both traditional and biologic therapies, traditional therapies remain much more affordable⁹ than biologic therapies. When considering the expense of biologic therapies, even relatively¹⁰ small increases in price become significant, such as the 14-percent increase during an eight-year period seen with infliximab因福利美," the authors write.

"Given the current psoriasis prescription drug market and the likely development of novel therapeutics for psoriasis in the near future, these trends are likely to continue. Thus, in addition to considerations of safety, efficacy and patient convenience and preference, health care professionals should be aware of current costs and anticipate future costs when making therapeutic¹¹ decisions."