Data accessed for this study were collected between January 1, 1999 and December 31, MAPK inhibitor 2009. Patients included in this study were required to have more than one diagnosis with RA (ICD-9-CM 714.0x) during the study period, to be ≥ 18 years of age on the date of first diagnosis,

and to hold a catastrophic illness card. RA is one of 30 illnesses currently covered by catastrophic illness cards, which, once issued, are valid for life. To obtain a catastrophic illness card due to RA, an adult patient must be diagnosed with RA two or more times, each time meeting the 1987 American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria.[31] Additionally, to be included, patients must have been prescribed a tDMARD or bDMARD at least once during the study period. Qualifying tDMARDs included azathioprine, cyclosporine, gold

sodium thiomalate, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide, methotrexate, minocycline, click here penicillamine D or sulfasalazine. Qualifying bDMARDs included etanercept, adalimumab or rituximab, as these were the three bDMARDs available in Taiwan during the study interval. It should be noted that these medications were not available during the entirety of the study period; etanercept and adalimumab were approved for reimbursement for RA treatment in March 2003 and September 2004, respectively. Rituximab, now approved as a second-line treatment for RA, was not approved for reimbursement in Taiwan Parvulin for RA until November 2008. BHNI treatment provisions allow a patient to receive bDMARD treatment for RA only after having failed at least two tDMARDs with a 6-month interval for each therapy. All patients who received etanercept, adalimumab or rituximab as

first-, second- or third-line treatments were included in the analysis that compared tDMARD and bDMARD outcomes. However, in the analysis, comparing the bDMARDs outcomes were included only if they occurred during use of the first prescribed bDMARD (i.e., before drug switching or the end of the study). Subsequent bDMARD use was excluded from the analysis. Because it was anticipated that the rituximab sample size would be inadequate for bDMARD-specific analysis, rituximab was not included for comparison in this study segment. Also excluded from the study were patients diagnosed with RA only once during the study interval, patients < 18 years of age when first diagnosed with RA, and patients first diagnosed with RA after July 1, 2009. The study also excluded patients who did not hold an RA catastrophic illness card, who were never prescribed a tDMARD or bDMARD, and who experienced an adverse event before ever receiving treatment with a tDMARD or bDMARD. Patients were divided into cohorts based on the index treatment type administered (bDMARD or tDMARD). As tDMARDs have been used for RA treatment longer than bDMARDs, patients in the bDMARD cohort were matched at a 1 : 2 ratio with patients in the tDMARD cohort, based on propensity score.