Ziekenhuisopname verhoogt Kosten voor Infliximab bij Crohn

This paper presents a cost analysis of the utilisation of infliximab for the treatment of Crohn's disease. The indication for infliximab for Dutch Crohn patients is an active disease with insufficient improvement on adequate therapy with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive therapy. We compared direct health-care costs (hospital and community pharmacy) before and after first infliximab treatment for 21 Crohn patients in the University Hospital Groningen who started infliximab during 1 January 2000 to 15 march 2001. Our study design was observational and patients served as their own controls with similar periods before and after infliximab per patient considered (minimally 3 months before and 3 months after infliximab). Drug costs for infliximab (including administration) were estimated at € 5800,- per patient-year. Excluding infliximab costs, costs per patient-year were € 6400,- and € 8600,-before and after first infliximab treatment, respectively. In both periods, the majority of the other costs was related to hospitalization. Also, drug costs in the community pharmacy were estimated to contribute relevant shares. Other researchers have found decreases in medical costs after the start of infliximab treatment. We found the opposite development. More experience and routine with infliximab treatment may lower costs in the future.