New Psoriasis Treatments Cost More Than A House

Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Article Date: 24 Sep 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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Recently approved Biologic drug treatments for severe psoriasis cost more than the purchase of an average U.S. house according to a recently published article. The May 2006 issue of Managed Care Magazine cited the 30 year total cost of these therapies ranging from $172,000 to $320,000.

In the same article, home UVB phototherapy, a newer form of an established treatment, is shown to cost only $7,000 over the same 30 year time period with an equally effective profile yet with decades of safe use. With these compelling economics, the article urges Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and other Health Insurers to modify their benefit structures to encourage home phototherapy as the first treatment option for severe psoriasis. The article's author, Tom Morrow M.D. questions the rationale for MCO's paying for Biologics (Enbrel, Amevive, Raptiva, Remicade, Humira) and the equivalent of a house payment for these patients, while making it difficult for members to obtain a safe, effective, economical and physician controlled treatment that can be done in the patient's home in the form of home UV-B treatments.

National Biological Corporation http://www.natbiocorp.com, established in 1967 and the innovator of home UV phototherapy, is the world's largest manufacturer of clinical and physician-controlled home phototherapy equipment for the treatment of skin disease including severe psoriasis. National Biological's products are built to ISO-13485:2003 international quality standards and are listed with the Food and Drug Administration.

National Biological Corporation
http://www.natbiocorp.com

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