The study was conducted across 5 Norwegian Rheumatology Departments and included 796 RA patients, 162 PsA patients and 211 patients with a diagnosis of AS. All patients were on an anti-TNF treatment regimen of infliximab, etanercept or adalimumab +/- methotrexate (MTX). The primary outcome was the number of patients still on therapy at one year – known as the adherence to therapy. RA was used as the reference group and within each diagnostic group the adherence to anti-TNF monotherapy versus TNF+MTX was compared.
The relative risk for withdrawal from TNF+MTX versus anti-TNF monotherapy was 0.54 for RA patients, 0.49 for PsA patients and 0.83 for AS patients, demonstrating that combination treatment strategy of anti-TNF+MTX worked better than anti-TNF monotherapy in patients with RA and PsA. Although the crude one-year overall drug adherence rates for anti-TNF therapy were superior in patients with PsA and AS compared to RA, after adjusting for age, gender and concomitant MTX, the adherence to anti-TNF treatment were similar in patients with RA and PsA whereas the adherence to anti-TNF treatment was superior in patients with AS compared to RA.
Dr Heiberg stated: "This is a fresh insight into the performance of these very good treatment options and helps to build a greater picture of how they work across the different rheumatology disease areas. Whilst many of the anti-TNFs were originally used in RA, it is most interesting to note that they could actually work for a comparatively larger proportion of patients with an AS diagnosis."
Notes to editors
* Anti-TNFs are genetically engineered biological agents – to give them their full title 'biologic response modifiers'. They act by blocking the action of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) – a chemical believed to play an important role in causing the inflammation and tissue damage that occurs in rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-TNFs may be able to delay or even prevent this damage.
For further information on this study, or to request an interview with the study lead, please do not hesitate to contact the EULAR congress press office on:
Email: eularpressoffice@uk.cohnwolfe.com
Jim Baxter - Onsite tel: +44 (0) 7900 605652
Jo Spadaccino - Onsite tel: +44 (0) 7773 271930
Mia Gannedahl - Office tel: +44 (0) 20 7331 2325
ABSTRACT NUMBER: OP0091
About EULAR
- The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) is the organization which represents the patient, health professional and scientific societies of rheumatology of all the European nations.
- The aims of EULAR are to reduce the burden of rheumatic diseases on the individual and society and to improve the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal diseases. To this end, EULAR fosters excellence in education and research in the field of rheumatology. It promotes the translation of research advances into daily care and fights for the recognition of the needs of people with musculoskeletal diseases by the governing bodies in Europe.
- Diseases of bones and joints, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis cause disability in 4 - 5 % of the adult population and are predicted to rise as people live longer.
- As new treatments emerge and cellular mechanisms are discovered, the 7th Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Amsterdam (EULAR 2006) brings together more than 10,000 experts - scientists, clinicians, healthcare workers, pharmaceutical companies and patients - to share their knowledge in a global endeavour to challenge the pain and disability caused by musculo-skeletal disorders.
- To find out more information about the activities of EULAR, visit: www.eular.org.