EULAR 2012: Remission the New Normal for Rheumatoid Arthritis

But Dr. Smolen suggested that more work needs to be done in this area, noting that comparative effectiveness research is something rheumatologists crave. He said that since it’s been found that a third of patients taking TNF-inhibitors don’t take them in conjunction with methotrexate or another biologic, as is generally suggested, more needs to be known about how they work as monotherapies.

In the ADACTA study, subcutaneous tocilizumab was compared to subcutaneous adalimumab, with the results significantly favoring tocilizumab.¹¹

The emergence of biologics has raised still another question: When can they be withdrawn, if at all. Dr. Smolen said that the research has shown that it depends on the stage of the disease. “For established RA, it may not be wise to withdraw the biologic,” he said. “Overall, withdrawal in patients will lead to flares in the vast majority of the patients. This is different in early disease.”

Thomas Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.

References

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