Burn-in stage (historical simulation) | Main stage (prospective simulation) | ||
---|---|---|---|
One treatment strategy | Treatment strategy 1 | Treatment strategy 2 | |
Time horizon | 1 Jan 1996–1 Jan 2014 | 1 Jan 2014–1 Jan 2034 | Same as treatment Strategy 1 |
Maximal number of drugs a patient can receive | |||
NSAIDs | Five, randomly selected from ten possible drugs After failure of two NSDAIs, the next two anti-TNF agents are considered; the remaining NSAIDs are reserved for those failing both anti-TNF agents | Five in an uninterrupted sequence, randomly selected from ten possible drugs | Same as in the burn-in stage |
Anti-TNF agents | Two, one subcutaneous and another intravenous, available from 1 Jan 2002 onwards After failure of two anti-TNF agents, the remaining NSAIDs are considered | No longer available | Same as in the burn-in stage |