Predictors of Disease Activity and Structural Progression After Treatment with Adalimumab Plus Methotrexate or Continued Methotrexate Monotherapy in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and Suboptimal Response to Methotrexate

Overview

Journal Ann Rheum Dis

Specialty Rheumatology

Date 2018 Aug 5

PMID 30076156

Citations 13

Authors

Josef S Smolen

Ronald F van Vollenhoven

Stefan Florentinus

Su Chen

Jessica L Suboticki

Arthur Kavanaugh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Methotrexate is considered to be first-line therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, a substantial proportion of treated patients do not achieve the desired goals of therapy. This analysis aimed to identify predictors of insufficient response to methotrexate in patients with early RA.

Methods: The Optimal Protocol for Treatment Initiation with Methotrexate and Adalimumab (OPTIMA) and PREMIER studies in patients with RA for <1 and <3 years, respectively, examined the efficacy of methotrexate and adalimumab in methotrexate-naive patients. This post hoc analysis included patients for whom initial methotrexate monotherapy was not successful after 6 months. Candidate predictors of insufficient response and clinically relevant radiographic progression (CRRP) included demographics, baseline disease characteristics and time-averaged disease variables over a 12-week interval. In OPTIMA, adalimumab was added to therapy after insufficient treatment response; in PREMIER, initial methotrexate therapy was continued; clinical, functional and radiologic outcomes were assessed after 1 year.

Results: Baseline 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28(CRP)) and time-averaged DAS28(CRP) over 4, 8 and 12 weeks were the strongest predictors of insufficient response to methotrexate and CRRP. Addition of adalimumab to methotrexate therapy was associated with better clinical, functional and radiographic outcomes after 1 year compared with continuing on methotrexate monotherapy.

Conclusions: In patients with early RA, baseline disease characteristics and early disease activity can predict response to methotrexate treatment and radiographic progression at 6 months. The addition of adalimumab at 6 months after methotrexate failure is associated with improved outcomes. These results support treatment-to-target strategies and timely adaptation of therapy in patients with early RA.

Trial Registration Number: NCT00420927, NCT00195663; Post-results.

Citing Articles

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The Clinical Utility of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound for Disease Activity Evaluation and Therapeutic Response Prediction in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Narrative Review.

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Molecular and Cellular Heterogeneity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.

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