Economics of the use of biologics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Studies of costs associated with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have traditionally concentrated on direct costs of disease, with most accounted for by surgeries and hospitalizations. New research raising awareness of indirect costs, and the cost-implications of normalizing quality of life, has shown these components to represent an even larger percentage of overall disease costs. The introduction of potent but expensive biologic therapies has raised the question of whether society can or cannot afford to use these agents. Initial investigations suggest that use of these drugs leads to a substantial reduction of the use of medical resources and their associated costs. Future research combining these results with the favorable impact on indirect costs and quality of life will likely represent a new chapter in the economics of IBDs.