Predictors of Switching Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

The impact of smoking on response to tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

BACKGROUND

To investigate the impact of smoking on disease activity, treatment retention, and response in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with their first tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNFi).

METHODS

AS patients who started their first TNFi treatment for the active axial disease (BASDAI ≥ 4) from TURKBIO Registry were included. Treatment response of smoker (current and ex-smokers) and nonsmoker (never smoker) patients were primarily evaluated as achievement of BASDAI50 or improvement in BASDAI at least 20 mm at 3 months and 6 months compared to baseline.

RESULTS

There were 322 patients with AS (60% male, 59% smoker, mean age: 38.3 years). The median follow-up time was 2.8 years (Q1- Q3: 1.3-3.8), and disease duration was 3.5 years (Q1-Q3: 0.7-8.2). Smokers had male predominance (p < 0.001), lower ESR (p = 0.03), higher BASDAI (p = 0.02), BASFI (p = 0.05), HAQ-AS (p = 0.007), and ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.04) compared with nonsmokers at baseline. In the multivariate analysis, male gender [OR 2.7 (95%CI 1.4-5), p = 0.002], and concomitant conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use [OR 2.4 (95%CI 1.1-5.2), p = 0.03] were associated with better treatment response. There was an association of male gender [HR 2.4 (95%CI 1.6-3.7), p < 0.001], older age (≥30years) [HR 1.8 (95%CI 1.1-2.8), p = 0.01], and response to treatment [HR 1.8 (95%CI 1.2-2.9), p = 0.008] with better treatment retention. No impact of smoking status was found on treatment retention and response in univariate and multivariate analyses.

DISCUSSION

This study suggested that smoking was associated with poorer patient-reported outcomes in biologic naïve AS patients initiating their first TNFi treatment, but it had no impact on the TNFi treatment response and retention rate.

High Baseline Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Could Serve as a Biomarker for Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Blockers and Their Discontinuation in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

BACKGROUND

This study explores the association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios with the 3-month treatment response and persistence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) blockers in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study investigated 279 AS patients who were newly initiated on TNF-α blockers between April 2004 and October 2019 and 171 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Response to TNF-α blockers was defined as a reduction in the Bath AS Disease Activity Index of ≥50% or 20 mm, and persistence referred to the time interval from the initiation to discontinuation of TNF-α blockers.

RESULTS

Patients with AS had significantly increased NLR, MLR, and PLR ratios as compared to controls. The frequency of non-response at 3 months was 3.7%, and TNF-α blockers' discontinuation occurred in 113 (40.5%) patients during the follow-up period. A high baseline NLR but not high baseline MLR and PLR showed an independently significant association with a higher risk of non-response at 3 months (OR = 12.3, p = 0.025) and non-persistence with TNF-α blockers (HR = 1.66, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

NLR may be a potential marker for predicting the clinical response and persistence of TNF-α blockers in AS patients.

Adalimumab and ABP 501 in the Treatment of a Large Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis: A Real Life Retrospective Analysis

The recent introduction of ABP 501, an adalimumab biosimilar, in the treatment of rheumatic diseases was supported by a comprehensive comparability exercise with its originator. On the other hand, observational studies comparing adalimumab and ABP 501 in inflammatory arthritis are still lacking. The main aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of the treatment with adalimumab, both the originator and ABP 501, in a large cohort of patients affected by autoimmune arthritis in a real life setting. We retrospectively analysed the baseline characteristics and the retention rate in a cohort of patients who received at least a course of adalimumab (originator or ABP 501) from January 2003 to December 2020. We stratified the study population according to adalimumab use: naive to original (oADA), naive to ABP 501 (bADA) and switched from original to ABP 501 (sADA). The oADA, bADA and sADA groups included, respectively, 724, 129 and 193 patients. In each group, the majority of patients had a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The total observation period was 9805.6 patient-months. The 18-month retentions rate in oADA, bADA and sADA was, respectively, 81.5%, 84.0% and 88.0% (p > 0.05). The factors influencing the adalimumab retention rate were an axial spondylarthritis diagnosis (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.70; p = 0.04), switch from oADA to ABP 501 (HR 0.53; p = 0.02) and year of prescription (HR 1.04; p = 0.04). In this retrospective study, patients naive to the adalimumab originator and its biosimilar ABP 501 showed the same retention rate. Patients switching from the originator to biosimilar had a higher retention rate, even though not statistically significant, when compared to naive.

Machine learning-based prediction model for responses of bDMARDs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

Background

Few studies on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have generated machine learning models to predict biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) responses; however, these studies included insufficient analysis on important features. Moreover, machine learning is yet to be used to predict bDMARD responses in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Thus, in this study, machine learning was used to predict such responses in RA and AS patients.

Methods

Data were retrieved from the Korean College of Rheumatology Biologics therapy (KOBIO) registry. The number of RA and AS patients in the training dataset were 625 and 611, respectively. We prepared independent test datasets that did not participate in any process of generating machine learning models. Baseline clinical characteristics were used as input features. Responders were defined as those who met the ACR 20% improvement response criteria (ACR20) and ASAS 20% improvement response criteria (ASAS20) in RA and AS, respectively, at the first follow-up. Multiple machine learning methods, including random forest (RF-method), were used to generate models to predict bDMARD responses, and we compared them with the logistic regression model.

Results

The RF-method model had superior prediction performance to logistic regression model (accuracy: 0.726 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.725–0.730] vs. 0.689 [0.606–0.717], area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) 0.638 [0.576–0.658] vs. 0.565 [0.493–0.605], F1 score 0.841 [0.837–0.843] vs. 0.803 [0.732–0.828], AUC of the precision-recall curve 0.808 [0.763–0.829] vs. 0.754 [0.714–0.789]) with independent test datasets in patients with RA. However, machine learning and logistic regression exhibited similar prediction performance in AS patients. Furthermore, the patient self-reporting scales, which are patient global assessment of disease activity (PtGA) in RA and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) in AS, were revealed as the most important features in both diseases.

Conclusions

RF-method exhibited superior prediction performance for responses of bDMARDs to a conventional statistical method, i.e., logistic regression, in RA patients. In contrast, despite the comparable size of the dataset, machine learning did not outperform in AS patients. The most important features of both diseases, according to feature importance analysis were patient self-reporting scales.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13075-021-02635-3.

Drug Survival of Biologics in Treating Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Real-World Evidence

BACKGROUND

The last decade has witnessed the increasing use of biologics for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Drug survival is an outcome incorporating real-world effectiveness and safety. However, the drug survival of biologics in treating AS is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to assess the drug survival of biologics (tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and anti-interleukin-17 monoclonal antibodies) in treating AS.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched the PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Embase databases up to 13th May 2020. Studies that analyzed the drug survival of biologics for AS and reported the respective annual data for each biologic for at least 1 year were included. Two authors independently screened and selected studies and assessed their risk of bias. A third author was available for arbitrating discrepancies. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed to evaluate the risk of bias of included studies. We conducted a random-effects model meta-analysis to obtain pooled drug survival from year 1 to 5. We performed subgroup analyses for biologic-naïve patients, first-line versus second- and third-line biologics, discontinuation due to loss of effectiveness and adverse effects, and high-quality studies.

RESULTS

We included 39 studies with 32,493 patients. The drug survival decreased from 76% at year 1 to 51% at year 5 for etanercept, from 75 to 51% for adalimumab, from 76 to 53% for infliximab, from 72 to 49% for golimumab, and from 63 to 57% for certolizumab pegol. The drug survival rate for secukinumab was 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.64‒0.90) at year 1. Subgroup analyses on biologic-naïve patients and discontinuation due to adverse effects found no differences in the drug survival of various biologics except for a lower drug survival of infliximab in biologic-naïve patients. The drug survival for first-line biologics was higher than for second- and third-line biologics.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the drug survival of biological therapies for AS patients. The drug survival of all biologics in treating AS appeared comparable, but is higher in first-line biologics than second- and third-line biologics. To date there are scarce data on the drug survival of newly available biologics, for example, anti-interleukin-17 biologics.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NO

CRD42018114204.

Low BASDAI score alone is not a good predictor of anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment efficacy in ankylosing spondylitis: a retrospective cohort study

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of high disease activity as measured using the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients who nonetheless have low Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores after anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment. Its clinical impact on anti-TNF survival was also investigated.

Methods

We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study of AS patients having low BASDAI scores (< 4) and available ASDAS-C-reactive protein (CRP) data after 3 months of first-line anti-TNF treatment. Patients were grouped into high-ASDAS (≥ 2.1) and low-ASDAS (< 2.1) groups according to the ASDAS-CRP after 3 months of anti-TNF treatment. Their characteristics were compared. And survival analyses were carried out using Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test with the event being discontinuation of anti-TNF treatment due to lack/loss of efficacy.

Results

Among 116 AS patients with low BASDAI scores after 3 months of anti-TNF treatment, 38.8% were grouped into the high-ASDAS group. The high-ASDAS group tended to have greater disease activity after 9 months of treatment (BASDAI 2.9 ± 1.1 vs. 2.3 ± 1.4, p=0.007; ASDAS-CRP 1.8 ± 0.6 vs. 1.5 ± 0.7, p=0.079; proportion of high ASDAS-CRP 27.8% vs. 13.8%, p=0.094) and greater risk of discontinuing anti-TNF treatment due to lack/loss of efficacy than the low-ASDAS group (p=0.011).

Conclusions

A relatively high proportion of AS patients with low BASDAI scores had high ASDAS-CRP. These low-BASDAI/high-ASDAS-CRP patients also had a greater risk for discontinuation of anti-TNF treatment due to low/lack of efficacy than the low-ASDAS group. The use of the ASDAS-CRP alone or in addition to the BASDAI may improve the assessment of AS patients treated with anti-TNF agents.

Frequency of peripheral diseases in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis and the effectiveness of adalimumab

Aim

Peripheral features contribute to disease burden in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study investigated the frequency of peripheral disease and effectiveness of adalimumab among Korean patients with AS.

Methods

Peripheral disease was evaluated in consecutively enrolled patients with active AS (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI] score ≥ 4). An adult subpopulation was subsequently enrolled in a prospective, observational study and received adalimumab 40 mg, every 2 weeks. During a 52‐week follow‐up, AS disease activity was assessed by BASDAI score, and effectiveness in peripheral disease assessed via changes in Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score (MASES; 0‐13), swollen joint and tender joint counts (SJC, 0‐44; TJC, 0‐46), and dactylitic digits from baseline.

Results

Of 1161 Korean patients with AS, 178 (15.3%) and 306 (26.4%) had enthesitis and peripheral arthritis, respectively; dactylitis was diagnosed in 28 patients (2.4%). Of 201 patients enrolled in the observational study, 46.3%, 33.3%, and 3.0% had enthesitis, peripheral arthritis, and dactylitis, respectively. Overall, 75.1% of patients achieved >50% improvement in BASDAI score by week 12. Mean MASES was significantly reduced from 2.67 at baseline to 0.85 and 0.34 at weeks 12 and 52, respectively (P < .0001). Similarly, SJC and TJC improved significantly from 2.58 and 3.49 at baseline to 0.80 and 1.68, respectively, by week 12 (P < .0001). Dactylitis was resolved in all affected patients by week 28.

Conclusion

Of these Korean patients with AS, those who received adalimumab demonstrated higher prevalence for peripheral symptoms and, subsequently, adalimumab treatment improved peripheral features of their AS.

Drug maintenance of a second tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor in spondyloarthritis patients: A real-life multicenter study

OBJECTIVES

Five TNF inhibitor (TNFi) agents are marketed for spondyloarthritis (SpA): 1 soluble receptor (SR) and 4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). From 15% to 30% of patients stop the first TNFi in the first 2 years, but we lack recommendations on the choice of the second TNFi. The aim here was to assess drug survival of a second TNFi in SpA and its determinants.

METHODS

This was a multicenter observational study of SpA patients who started a first TNFi in 2013 and 2014 and were followed to 2018. For the first and second TNFi, we retrospectively collected data on initiation and discontinuation dates, type of TNFi, and reasons for withdrawal. Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests were used to compare drug survival. Factors associated with drug survival of the second TNFi were analyzed by univariate Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

We included 244 patients. During a follow-up of 7,838 patient-months, 101 (41%) received 1 TNFi, and 143 (59%) switched to a second TNFi. Mean drug intake duration was significantly greater with the first than second TNFi: 21.7 (SD 19.6) and 15.4 (SD 13.6) months (P<0.001). When switching to another mAb or from an SR to an mAb (or the reverse), mean drug survival did not differ: 14.4 (SD 12.7) and 16 (SD 14.1) months (P=0.35). Factors associated with retaining the second TNFi were male sex (P=0.054) and age<41 years at SpA diagnosis (P=0.022). On multivariable analysis, only age<41 years at diagnosis remained independently associated with maintenance of the second TNFi.

CONCLUSION

In SpA patients, drug survival is significantly longer with the first than second TNFi. Male sex and age<41 years at diagnosis were associated with retaining the second TNFi.

Biological treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide study of treatment trajectories on a patient level in clinical practice

BACKGROUND

There is substantial evidence that patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have high response rates to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), a low likelihood of successful treatment termination, but yet a limited drug retention. Whereas several reports have assessed drug retention rates for TNFi in AS, there are few, if any, studies investigating the actual treatment trajectories on a patient level, including subsequent therapy changes and dose reductions, of individual patients. The aim of this study was to describe 5-year treatment trajectories in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) starting a first TNFi.

METHODS

Bio-naïve patients with AS starting a TNFi in 2006-2015 were identified in the nationwide Swedish Rheumatology Quality register and followed until 31 December 2015. All changes in their anti-rheumatic treatment during follow-up were recorded. To further increase precision, these data were complimented by information on the amount of prescribed subcutaneous TNFi collected from pharmacies during each year, retrieved from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register.

RESULTS

Two thousand five hundred ninety patients started a first TNFi 2006-2015, and after 1 year, 74% remained on their first TNFi. However, after 5 years, this figure was only 46%, although at that time 63% were still on treatment with any biologic, while 30% had no anti-rheumatic treatment at all. After discontinuing the first TNFi, 46% switched directly to a second TNFi, but the drug retention for the second and third TNFi grew successively shorter compared to that for the first TNFi. In contrast, patients remaining on treatment with their first subcutaneous TNFi gradually reduced the dose, so that during the fifth year of treatment only 66% had collected ≥ 75% of the defined daily doses for that year.

CONCLUSION

Less than half of patients with AS will remain on their first TNFi after 5 years, but most are still on a biologic. While patients remaining on treatment with their first TNFi appear to be able to reduce the dose over time, a large proportion cycle through several biologics, and 1/3 have no anti-rheumatic treatment after 5 years. This indicates the importance of thorough follow-up programs as well as a need for alternative therapeutic options.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Discontinuation in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: An Observational Study From the US-Based Corrona Registry

INTRODUCTION

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) have shown efficacy for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, many patients may discontinue or switch TNFis due to lack of effect or adverse events. As biologics with alternative mechanisms of action become available for the treatment of AS, it is important to better understand the characteristics of patients who discontinue or have an inadequate response to TNFis to help inform treatment choices regarding initiating or switching to a biologic therapy. This study compared demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with AS who discontinued vs. continued a TNFi by their second follow-up visit in the US-based Corrona Psoriatic Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis (PsA/SpA) Registry.

METHODS

All patients aged ≥ 18 years with AS enrolled in the Corrona PsA/SpA Registry between April 2013 and January 2015 who were receiving or had initiated a TNFi (index therapy) at the time of registry enrollment (baseline) and had ≥ 2 follow-up visits were included. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and patient-reported outcome scores at baseline were compared between cohorts of patients who discontinued or continued their TNFi by the second follow-up visit.

RESULTS

Of the 155 included patients, 37 (23.9%) discontinued their index TNFi therapy by the second follow-up visit (mean follow-up, 17.8 months). Patients who discontinued their TNFi were older (mean age, 52.1 vs. 46.6 years; P = 0.04), were more likely to be obese (59.5% vs. 34.2%; P < 0.01), and had worse mean Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index scores (4.8 vs. 3.5 and 4.2 vs. 2.8, respectively; P = 0.01 for both) at baseline than those who continued their TNFi.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this real-world study provide insight into the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with AS who discontinue vs. continue TNFi therapy in US clinical practice.

FUNDING

Corrona, LLC. Plain language summary available for this article.

Impact of the Adalimumab Patient Support Program on Clinical Outcomes in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Results from the COMPANION Study

INTRODUCTION

Adalimumab (ADA) is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor indicated for the treatment of inflammatory autoimmune diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Patients receiving ADA in Canada are eligible to enroll in the AbbVie Care™ patient support program (AC-PSP), which provides personalized services, including care coach calls (CCCs). We estimated the likelihood of controlled disease in a cohort of AS patients treated with ADA enrolled in the AC-PSP and who received CCCs versus those who did not.

METHODS

A longitudinal analysis using de-identified aggregate-level data collected through the AC-PSP was performed. A probabilistic matching algorithm was used to link patient-level records from the AC-PSP database to records from the QuintilesIMS longitudinal prescription transactions database. Patients were indexed on the date of their first prescription of ADA between January 2010 and October 2015. The AC-PSP database included patient assessments of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), a measure of disease activity. Eligible patients had a baseline BASDAI assessment performed between 90 days before and 30 days after the index date, and a follow-up BASDAI assessment 6-18 months later. Poisson regression was used to estimate the adjusted relative risk (RR) of controlled disease (BASDAI < 4) at the time of follow-up, comparing patients who received CCCs with those who did not.

RESULTS

In total 249 AS patients met eligibility criteria, and 123 (49%) received CCCs. Of the 249 patients, 184 (74%) had controlled disease (BASDAI < 4) at follow-up assessment, 98 (80%) in the CCC group and 86 (68%) in the no CCC group. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated a 23% increased likelihood of controlled disease in patients who received CCCs relative to those who did not (RR = 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.42; p = 0.0055).

CONCLUSION

AS patients receiving tailored services through the AC-PSP in the form of CCCs have an increased likelihood of controlled disease within 6-18 months.

FUNDING

AbbVie.

Switching tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of switching tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors on patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

METHODS

PubMed literature searches were conducted using combinations of search terms including ankylosing spondylitis, spondyloarthropathy, spondyloarthritis, switch/switching, drug survival, and TNF/tumor necrosis factor to identify published articles with data on outcomes related to switching biologic therapies in patients with axSpA.

RESULTS

Of the 134 studies screened, 21 were identified as reporting data on switching TNF inhibitors in patients carrying a diagnosis of axSpA or ankylosing spondylitis. The most common reasons for switching from the first TNF inhibitor were lack of efficacy (14-68%), loss of efficacy (13-61%), and adverse events/poor tolerability (13-57%). Switching TNF inhibitors was beneficial for a substantial proportion of patients with axSpA who failed to respond to initial or even second TNF inhibitor therapy and adverse effects were not enhanced. Drug survival rates were generally lower for the second (47-72% at 2 years) or third TNF inhibitor (49% at 2 years) than for the first TNF inhibitor (58-75% at 2 years). Predictors of responses in TNF-naïve patients included HLA-B27 positivity, absence of enthesitis, age ≤40 years, elevated C-reactive protein level, good functional status, and shorter disease duration. Predictors of drug survival included male sex and peripheral arthritis. Common characteristics of patients who switched TNF inhibitors included female sex, older age, more severe disease, greater symptom burden, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, complete ankyloses, and enthesitis.

CONCLUSION

When the first or even the second TNF inhibitor fails, switching to an alternate one is not an unreasonable clinical therapeutic decision.