Discontinuation of etanercept after achievement of sustained remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who initially had moderate disease activity-results from the ENCOURAGE study, a prospective, international, multicenter randomized study.
Mod Rheumatol
; 26(5): 651-61, 2016 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26698929
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the efficacy and safety of etanercept (ETN) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with moderate disease activity and the possibility to discontinue ETN after achieving remission.METHODS:
Multicenter, randomized, and open-label study was conducted in Japan and Korea. RA patients (disease duration <5 years) with moderate disease activity despite methotrexate (MTX) treatment were allocated to either MTX or ETN + MTX (Period 1) for 12 months. Patients who achieved sustained remission defined as DAS28 < 2.6 at both 6 and 12 months in the ETN + MTX group, were randomized to either continue or discontinue ETN for 12 months (Period 2).RESULTS:
A total of 222 patients were enrolled in Period 1 and clinical remission was achieved in 106/157 (67.5%) and 5/28 (17.9%) patients in the ETN + MTX and MTX groups, respectively. In Period 2, sixty-seven patients were randomized and finally 28/32 (87.5%) and 15/28 (53.6%) patients who continued or discontinued ETN maintained clinical remission. Baseline disease activity and the presence of comorbid diseases influenced the maintenance of remission after ETN discontinuation.CONCLUSIONS:
ETN + MTX was efficient for RA patients with moderate disease activity into remission. After achieving sustained remission, a half of the patients who discontinued ETN could maintain remission for 1 year.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
/
Remission Induction
/
Antirheumatic Agents
/
Etanercept
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Mod Rheumatol
Year:
2016
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japan