RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess effectiveness and safety of certolizumab PEGol (CZP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients after 12 months of treatment and to detect predictors of response. METHODS: Observational longitudinal prospective study of RA patients from 35 sites in Spain. Variables (baseline, 3- and 12-month assessment): sociodemographics, previous Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug (DMARD) and previous Biological Therapies (BT) use; TJC, SJC, ESR, CRP, DAS28, SDAI. Response variables: TJC, SJC, CRP, ESR, and steroids dose reductions, EULAR Moderate/Good Response, SDAI response and remission, DAS28 remission. Safety variables: discontinuation due to side-effects. Descriptive, comparative and Logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: We included 168 patients: 79.2% women, mean age 54.5 years (±13.2 SD), mean disease duration 7.5 years (±7.3 SD). Mean number of prior DMARD: 1.4 (±1.2 SD), mean number of prior BT was 0.8 (±1.1). Mean time on CZP was 9.8 months (±3.4 SD). A total of 71.4% were receiving CZP at 12-month assessment. Baseline predictors of response: lower prior number DMARD; low number prior BT; higher CRP, ESR, TJC, SJC, DAS28 and SDAI (p < 0.05) scores. A 25/46.4% Moderate/Good Response, a 20% SDAI remission, and a 44% DAS28 remission were observed. We observed 48 discontinuations (28.6%), 31 due to partial or complete ineffectiveness, and 17 due to side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: CZP showed benefit in severe RA patients, with significant reduction of all effectiveness parameters, despite the high prevalence of previous BT exposure in our series. We found CRP, ESR, prior DMARD/BT number, TJC, SJC, DAS28, and SDAI as baseline predictors of response. CZP was mostly well tolerated.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To compare the survival of subcutaneous anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) drugs used between 2008 and 2012 prescribed in accordance with clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective, observational study of the patients in our center diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We included patients who had received a subcutaneous anti-TNF agent for at least 6 months. The data were analyzed using the SPSS V17.0 statistical package. RESULTS: Forty-nine RA patients started subcutaneous biological treatment with an anti-TNF agent (32 with etanercept and 17 with adalimumab). The mean age was 45.94 years (75.5% female). The mean disease duration prior to starting anti-TNF administration was 2.67 years. The mean age at the start of treatment was 51.84 years, and the average Disease Activity Score 28 was 4.93. The median survival of the anti-TNF treatment was 8.40 years; the survival of etanercept was the longer of the two. The main reason for discontinuation was secondary failure (90.9%). CONCLUSIONS: In routine clinical practice, the survival of subcutaneous anti-TNF treatment was extensive and was independent of whether or not the patients received concomitant immunosuppressive therapy.