The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Upadacitinib + Methotrexate & Other csDMARDs in RA Patients

Upadacitinib + Methotrexate & Other csDMARDs in RA Patients

July 12, 2019 • By Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

MADRID—The selective JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib has proved effective for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when used in combination with methotrexate or other conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). In a recent analysis of two phase 3 studies, the efficacy of upadacitinib plus methotrexate was directly compared with upadacitinib plus other csDMARDs in RA patients who had an inadequate response to csDMARDs (SELECT-NEXT study) or biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) (SELECT-BEYOND study). The results of the analysis were presented during the 2019 European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR), June 12–15. 1

You Might Also Like
  • Upadacitinib Meets Study Endpoints to Treat RA
  • Upadacitinib Promising for RA Patients
  • Upadacitinib Promising for RA in Phase 3 Study
Also By This Author
  • Antirheumatic Drugs May Be Linked to Pulmonary Toxicity & More

Patients received either 15 mg or 30 mg of upadacitinib or placebo once daily for 12 weeks, along with csDMARDs. There were 661 patients in SELECT-NEXT and 498 patients in SELECT-BEYOND. In both studies, the primary endpoints were the rates of ACR20 response and Disease Activity Score 28-joint count C reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) ≤3.2. Other endpoints included: DAS28-CRP <2.6, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) low disease activity (≤10) and CDAI remission (≤2.8).

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Patients were grouped on the basis of concomitant csDMARD use, either with methotrexate or with non-methotrexate csDMARDs. Non-methotrexate csDMARDs included sulfasalazine, leflunomide, hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. Patients who received both methotrexate and a non-methotrexate csDMARD were included in the methotrexate group. The demographics and disease characteristics of both treatment groups were similar. Most patients were white females, and about half were also using oral corticosteroids at baseline.=

In SELECT-NEXT, 535 patients received methotrexate and 124 patients received non-methotrexate csDMARDS. In SELECT-BEYOND, 410 patients received concomitant methotrexate, while 82 patients received non-methotrexate csDMARDs.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

All upadacitinib-treated patients achieved higher efficacy outcomes than placebo-treated patients, with no significant differences between efficacy outcomes in either upadacitinib-treated group. This post-hoc analysis of upadacitinib-treated patients showed efficacy of the agent whether it is used in combination with methotrexate or non-methotrexate csDMARDs.


Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP, is a freelance medical writer based in New York City and a pharmacist at New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Reference

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE
  1. Kremer J, van den Bosch F, Rubbert-Roth A, et al. A comparison of upadacitinib plus methotrexate and upadacitinib plus other csDMARDs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: An analysis of two phase 3 studies. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019 Jun. 78(suppl 2):A749.

Filed Under: DMARDs & Immunosuppressives, Drug Updates Tagged With: combination therapy, EULAR, Methotrexate, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), upadacitinib

You Might Also Like:
  • Upadacitinib Meets Study Endpoints to Treat RA
  • Upadacitinib Promising for RA Patients
  • Upadacitinib Promising for RA in Phase 3 Study
  • Upadacitinib at the FDA

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.