Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Burden of disease and treatment patterns for psoriatic arthritis in Finland: a nationwide real-world evidence study
Authors' conclusion
Patients experienced increasing absenteeism before first bDMARD initiation, indicating an unmet need at treatment initiation.
Study context
- Population
- Adult patients with PsA and reimbursed biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD) purchases between 2013 and 2021 in Finland
- Participants
- 2,546 patients
- Exposure
- Switcher cohort vs first biological cohort
- Switchern = 458
- First biologicaln = 2,088reference
- Outcome
- bDMARD switch after 12 months (first biological cohort)
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological detailsnationwide, registry-based, real-world evidence
- Nationwide
- Registry-based
- Real-world evidence
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
First biological
22.4%
95% CI 20.6–24.2
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Work absences
- Accumulated before bDMARD initiation and decreased afterwards in the first biological cohort, while switchers maintained a modest linear accumulation
Disability pensions in under-65-year-old patients
- Proportion higher in switchers compared to the first biological cohort
Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), annual cost per patient, before vs after bDMARD initiation/switch
- First biological: decreased (before vs after)
- €5093 vs €4610
- Switcher: increased (before vs after)
- €5246 vs €5596
Original publication
Burden of disease and treatment patterns for psoriatic arthritis in Finland: a nationwide real-world evidence study. Scand J Rheumatol. Published 13 November 2025. doi:10.
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