Table 4.
Drug costs for the management of RA from Scandinavia and India (six-monthly).
| Drug | Scandinavia | India |
|---|---|---|
| Unit costs, 6-months (USD) | Unit costs, 6-months (USD) | |
| Methotrexate (+folic acid 5 mg once weekly) | 49 USD1 | 181 |
| Sulfasalazine | 1201 | 391 |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 581 | 291 |
| 1st b/tsDMARD2 | 486 | 129 |
| 2nd b/tsDMARD2 | 1,022 | 1,644 |
| Prednisolone | 383 | 193 |
All b/tsDMARDs are calculated based on their recommended doses for adults with rheumatoid arthritis.
1
Costs for hydroxychloroquine 400 mg/day, sulfasalazine 2000 mg/day, methotrexate 25 mg/week, and prednisolone 5 mg/day.
2
Approximate prices for conventional dosage of the two cheapest b/tsDMARD in 2022.
3
An additional cost of USD 18 was added as cost of Calcium + Vitamin D therapy in the rescue therapy arm.