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Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics

From: Patterns of biologic agent utilization among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective cohort study

 

First anti-TNF

Subsequent anti-TNF

  
 

Etanercept (N = 1593)

Adalimumab (N = 1040)

Infliximab (N = 584)

Etanercept (N = 258)

Adalimumab (N = 353)

Infliximab (N = 156)

Abatacept (N = 418)

Rituximab (N = 239)

Age; mean (SD)

49.9 (12.4)

50.1 (12.0)

52.8 (11.4)

50.0 (10.9)

49.9 (11.2)

49.1 (11.6)

52.8 (11.8)

52.7 (11.3)

Male; n (%)

346 (21.7)

245 (23.6)

145 (24.8)

56 (21.7)

64 (18.1)

31 (19.9)

69 (16.5)

48 (20.1)

Quan-Charlson score; mean (SD)

1.3 (0.8)

1.3 (0.9)

1.4 (0.9)

1.4 (0.8)

1.4 (0.9)

1.3 (0.8)

1.5 (1.0)

1.7 (1.1)

Medications; n (%)

        

   Oral and injectable corticosteroids

946 (59.4)

665 (63.9)

413 (70.7)

189 (73.3)

249 (70.5)

109 (69.9)

313 (74.9)

177 (74.1)

   Methotrexate

833 (52.3)

606 (58.3)

401 (68.7)

142 (55.0)

177 (50.1)

89 (57.1)

213 (51.0)

120 (50.2)

   NSAIDs

739 (46.4)

522 (50.2)

291 (49.8)

126 (48.8)

188 (53.3)

75 (48.1)

209 (50.0)

104 (43.5)

   Antimalarials

274 (17.2)

192 (18.5)

104 (17.8)

41 (15.9)

65 (18.4)

23 (14.7)

41 (9.8)

26 (10.9)

   Other DMARDsa

263 (16.5)

169 (16.3)

93 (15.9)

49 (19.0)

57 (16.1)

21 (13.5)

78 (18.7)

42 (17.6)

   Immunosuppressants

22 (1.4)

14 (1.3)

3 (0.5)

2 (0.8)

7 (2.0)

6 (3.8)

22 (5.3)

7 (2.9)

   Gold salt

1 (0.1)

1 (0.1)

0 (0)

1 (0.4)

1 (0.3)

1 (0.6)

2 (0.5)

1 (0.4)

Biologics; n (%)

        

   Etanercept

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

276 (78.2)

81 (51.9)

71 (17.0)

38 (15.9)

   Adalimumab

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

166 (64.3)

0 (0)

62 (39.7)

60 (14.4)

42 (17.6)

   Infliximab

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

57 (22.1)

55 (15.6)

0 (0)

141 (33.7)

54 (22.6)

   Abatacept

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1b (0.6)

0 (0)

31 (13.0)

   Rituximab

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

11 (2.6)

0 (0)

Follow-up (days); mean (SD)

656.9 (219.1)

664.1 (215.8)

685.4 (210.2)

677.9 (191.1)

691.1 (207.9)

675.2 (216.0)

636.4 (190.2)

617.0 (178.9)

  1. acyclophosphamide, d-penicillamine, leflunomide, sulfasalazine.
  2. bJ3590 (unclassified biologics) was included among the codes used to identify abatacept use; one patient had a claim with J3590 prior to the abatacept approval date and it was assumed that the code was used to refer to biologic use unrelated to rheumatoid arthritis.
  3. DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; EPO, exclusive provider organization; HMO, health maintenance organization; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; POS, point-of-service; PPO, preferred provider organization.
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