Comparison of real costs in the French healthcare system in newly diagnosed patients with pemphigus for first-line treatment with rituximab vs. standard corticosteroid regimen: data from a national multicentre trial.

First-line treatment of pemphigus with rituximab results in a slightly greater cost compared with a standard CS regimen. What's already known about this topic Rituximab is the most effective treatment for moderate-to-severe pemphigus. Rituximab cost might be considered as a limitation of this treatment. What does this study add? After 3 years of follow-up, mean individual total cost for a patient with first-line treatment with rituximab was €14 818 vs. €13 997 with standard corticosteroids (CS), resulting in a slightly higher cost of €821 (+6%). The initially greater cost of rituximab was counterbalanced by costs related to management of flares/relapses in patients treated with a standard CS regimen.