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Bessette L, Florica B, Naik L, Sholter D, Fournier PA, Girard T, Liazoghli D, Baer PA. A Canadian Retrospective Chart Review Evaluating Concomitant Methotrexate De-escalation Patterns in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Biologic or Targeted Synthetic DMARDs. Rheumatol Ther 2024; 11:1165-1180. [PMID: 38976169 PMCID: PMC11422300 DOI: 10.1007/s40744-024-00696-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) guidelines recommend methotrexate (MTX)-anchored therapy with biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs); however, tolerability issues often lead to non-adherence. Canadian data on MTX tapering and/or withdrawal following b/tsDMARD initiation are minimal. This chart review assessed frequency of MTX tapering or withdrawal following b/tsDMARD initiation and the impact on disease status in Canadian adults with RA. METHODS Eligible patients had received MTX for ≥ 3 months before b/tsDMARD initiation. The b/tsDMARD was prescribed continuously for ≥ 18 months. Patients taking > 10 mg/day oral prednisone or equivalent were excluded. RESULTS Eight hundred eighty-nine patients (mean baseline MTX dose 19.0 mg/week) prescribed b/tsDMARDs (tumor necrosis factor inhibitor 52.1%, Janus kinase inhibitor 18.3%, interleukin-6 inhibitor [IL-6i] 11.9%, other 17.7%) were evaluated at 22 Canadian centers. Within 2 years of b/tsDMARD initiation, MTX was tapered in 123 (13.8%) patients and discontinued in 147 (16.5%), most commonly due to planned tapering (36.6%) and patient decision (27.2%), respectively, and most commonly with IL-6i use (34.9%). The MTX dose was unchanged for 582 (65.5%) patients and increased for 37 (4.2%). Missing data limit interpretations of MTX dose effects on some secondary endpoints and challenge the assertion that a disease activity measure-based treat-to-target approach is routinely used in Canadian rheumatology practice. CONCLUSIONS Methotrexate tapering or withdrawal occurred in 30.4% of Canadians with RA within 2 years following b/tsDMARD initiation. Baseline disease activity measures were missing from many medical records. However, for patients with baseline assessments, MTX tapering or discontinuation did not worsen disease activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Bessette
- Groupe de Recherche en Maladies Osseuses Inc., Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Brandusa Florica
- Brandusa Florica Medicine Professional Corporation, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Latha Naik
- Dr. Latha Naik Medicine Professional Corporation, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Philip A Baer
- Baer Weinberg MPC, 1003-131 Beecroft Road, North York, ON, M2N 6G9, Canada.
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Perricone C, Castellucci A, Cafaro G, Calvacchi S, Bruno L, Dal Pozzolo R, Tromby F, Colangelo A, Gerli R, Bartoloni E. Rational approach to the prescription of anti-rheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: a product leaflet-based strategy in Italy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1398314. [PMID: 38979406 PMCID: PMC11228816 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1398314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has dramatically changed in the past 30 years. Currently, numerous conventional, biologic, and targeted synthetic DMARDs have been licensed and used following recommendations provided by international and national scientific societies. However, the availability of biosimilars and the increasing necessity of savings impacted on the local/national prescription of these drugs. The information provided by data sheet of every single drug is a decisive factor on the choice of a certain treatment merged with the patient's profile. Thus, our purpose was to construct a rational algorithm for the treatment strategy in RA according to costs and the product leaflet of the biologic and targeted-synthetic DMARDs currently licensed in Italy. We used the most recent available recommendations and then we performed a review of the literature considering all the factors that are known to influence drug safety/effectiveness. All these factors were considered in the context of the data sheets of currently available originators and biosimilars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Perricone
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Castellucci
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cafaro
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Santina Calvacchi
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenza Bruno
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Roberto Dal Pozzolo
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesco Tromby
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Colangelo
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Roberto Gerli
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Elena Bartoloni
- Rheumatology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Giollo A, Fuzzi E, Doria A. Methotrexate in early rheumatoid arthritis: Is the anchor drug still holding? Autoimmun Rev 2022; 21:103031. [PMID: 34995761 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2022.103031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Treat-to-target (T2T) is currently the most fashionable strategy for treatment-naïve, early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. A T2T approach can lead to a complete and drug-free disease remission, whereas failure to obtain remission leads to damage early in the disease course. Hence, one should try to achieve high remission rates as early as possible, implementing the best therapeutic strategies available. Methotrexate (MTX) combined with glucocorticoid bridging is the mainstay of T2T. However, MTX is often used suboptimally in RA patients for many reasons, including poor tolerability, low compliance, and safety issues. Recent evidence has suggested that novel targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) such as the Janus-kinase (JAK) inhibitors in combination with glucocorticoids yielded better outcomes in early RA than conventional treatment. Such an approach may have advantages in terms of patients' outcomes, though some concerns about serious adverse events need to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Giollo
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova Hospital Trust, Padova, Italy.
| | - Enrico Fuzzi
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova Hospital Trust, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Doria
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova Hospital Trust, Padova, Italy.
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Ataman S, Sunar I, Bodur H, Melikoglu MA, Cay HF, Capkin E, Akgul O, Cevik R, Gogus F, Kamanli A, Yurdakul FG, Gurer G, Yagci I, Rezvani A, Duruoz MT. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Sustained and Switching Treatments Using Biological and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs: A Multicenter, Observational Cross-Sectional Study for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatol Ther 2021; 9:223-241. [PMID: 34850376 PMCID: PMC8814119 DOI: 10.1007/s40744-021-00403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease with different disease activity grades. Several registries have been designed to determine the appropriate regimens of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to obtain sustained clinical remission. We examined epidemiological and clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis patients using a clinical registry database (BioSTaR) and analyzed the differences in patients with sustained and switched therapies. Methods A multicenter, observational cross-sectional study for rheumatoid arthritis was performed between February 2019 and September 2020 using the BioStaR-RA registry. Demographic and clinical characteristics were prospectively recorded into a specifically designed electronic database. The patients were divided into three groups due to the heterogeneity of the study cohort. Patients were grouped as Group I (Initial; within the first 6 months of treatment with biological/targeted synthetic drugs), Group ST (Sustained Treatment; any first drug lasting for at least 6 months without any change), and Group S (Switch; any switching to another drug). Comparative analysis was performed between sustained treatment (Group ST) and drug switching (Group S) groups. Results The study included a total of 565 patients. The mean age was 53.7 ± 12.8 years, and the majority were female (80.4%). There were 104, 267, and 194 patients in Groups I, ST, and S, respectively. Erosive arthritis and hematological extra-articular involvement were more frequently detected in Group S than Group ST (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001). The patients in Group S had significantly higher disease activity scores (DAS28-CRP, CDAI, and SDAI) (p = 0.025, p = 0.010, and p = 0.003). There were significantly more patients with moderate disease activity in Group S (p < 0.05). Conclusions The groups with sustained treatment and switching included patients with different disease activity status, although higher disease activity was determined in switchers. Overall, moderate disease activity and remission were the most common disease activity levels. Lower disease activity scores, lower hematologic manifestations, better functional status, and lesser radiographic damage are associated with sustained treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebnem Ataman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ismihan Sunar
- Rheumatology Clinic, Aydın State Hospital, Aydın, Turkey.
| | - Hatice Bodur
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Meltem Alkan Melikoglu
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ataturk University School of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Hasan Fatih Cay
- Department of Rheumatology, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Erhan Capkin
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karadeniz Technical University School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Akgul
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Manisa Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Remzi Cevik
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey
| | - Feride Gogus
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ayhan Kamanli
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sakarya University School of Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey
| | - Fatma Gul Yurdakul
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gulcan Gurer
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Ilker Yagci
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aylin Rezvani
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medipol University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Tuncay Duruoz
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
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