Sustaining competition for biosimilars on the pharmacy benefit: Use it or lose it.

Congress passed the Biologic Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, specifically to offer market competition as a counterweight to the rising costs of biologic medicines. As of April 15, 2024, 49 biosimilars have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 15 biologic categories. Biosimilar competition has been undeniably successful: Through 2022, biosimilars have saved the US health system $23.6 billion, without significant care disruption or reduced quality. Through 2023, adalimumab biosimilar competition has added an additional $6.5 billion to this total, primarily through greater rebates from the reference manufacturer. Despite launching at discounts as great as 85%, adalimumab biosimilars have not been given preferred formulary positioning in the vast majority of cases and have thus gained only 3% of market share through 2023, largely because of payers' and pharmacy benefit managers' preference for rebates over discounts. This situation may negatively influence future biosimilar development, posing a threat to a biosimilar pipeline that represents hundreds of billions in savings over the next 10 years.

Effectiveness and safety of biological and target synthetic drugs treatment for psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review with network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is a chronic inflammatory systemic arthritis that can result in loss of functional capacity and joint deformation. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness and safety of biological and target synthetic drugs for treating PA. METHODS: We searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated the use of Adalimumab, Etanercept, Infliximab, Golimumab, Secukinumab, Certolizumab Pegol and Tofacitinib in the main general databases and clinical trial registers databases. The primary outcomes were ACR 50, PsARC, and serious adverse events. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Network meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects model and frequentist approach. The CINeMA software was used to assess the certainty of evidence. RESULTS: We included 33 RCTs (n = 11,034). The results from the network meta-analysis for the ACR 50 at 6-months follow-up showed that all drugs were superior to placebo, with Secukinumab (high certainty of evidence), Infliximab (very low certainty of evidence) and Adalimumab (high certainty of evidence) ranking the highest. Regarding the PsARC (at 6-months follow-up), all drugs, except for Golimumab (very low certainty of evidence), were superior to placebo, with Etanercept (low certainty of evidence), Infliximab (low certainty of evidence) and Certolizumab Pegol (low certainty of evidence) being the most effective drugs. There were no significant differences in the risk of serious adverse events between the drugs and placebo. Golimumab (very low certainty of evidence), Secukinumab (low certainty of evidence), and Adalimumab (very low certainty of evidence) ranked the highest for safety. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, based on the balance between efficacy and safety, Secukinumab and Adalimumab may be the preferred options among the evaluated drugs for treating patients with PsA. However, caution is necessary when interpreting the safety findings, as they are supported by evidence of low to very low certainty. Consequently, the balance between benefits and potential risks may change as new safety evaluation studies become available. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42022315577.

Extensive and deep granulomatous ulcers as an atypical manifestation of cartilage-hair hypoplasia syndrome: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

Cartilage hypoplasia syndrome is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by short stature, hypoplastic hair and a variable degree of immunodeficiency. Noninfectious cutaneous granulomas represent an uncommon yet well-recognized manifestation within the spectrum of primary immunodeficiency diseases. However, cutaneous granulomas as a manifestation of cartilage-hair hypoplasia syndrome, are extremely rare. We present a case of a middle-aged man with cartilage hypoplasia syndrome featuring cutaneous granulomas, manifesting as chronic, extensive and deep cutaneous ulcers. The patient was treated with anti-TNF-alpha adalimumab with partial improvement. Our case underscores the broad spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with cartilage hypoplasia syndrome and adds new evidence to the potential therapeutic efficacy of anti-TNF-alpha drugs in its treatment.

Effectiveness and safety of adalimumab compared with leflunomide in patients with Takayasu arteritis: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of adalimumab (ADA) compared with leflunomide (LEF) in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was performed with the following inclusion criteria: the fulfilment of the 2022 American College Classification/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology criteria for TAK, age ≥18 years, and written informed consent. Forty-four patients were treated with LEF (n=28) or ADA (n=16) therapy due to relapsing/refractory disease or toxicity from previous therapy. Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), at a median of 7.0 months (T1) and at 15.0 months of follow-up (T2). Data regarding disease activity, daily dose of prednisone, side effects and angiographic progression were analysed. RESULTS: LEF and ADA groups had similar features on the baseline visit. However, intravenous methylprednisolone was more frequently prescribed for the ADA group (p=0.019). On T1 and T2 visits, complete response rates were similar for ADA and LEF groups (75.0% and 88.5%; p=0.397 and 62.5% vs 78.3%; p=0.307), respectively. The differences remained non-significant after adjusting for baseline variables by propensity score matching. Although the ADA group had a higher median daily prednisone on visit T1 (p=0.004), it was similar on visit T2 (p=0.595). Similar rates of angiographic progression were observed in ADA and LEF groups (40% vs 25%; p=0.467). Mild-to-moderate adverse events were observed only in the LEF group (17.9%). CONCLUSION: LEF and ADA had comparable outcomes after a median of 15.0 months of follow-up. However, withdrawal from therapy and mild-to-moderate adverse events were only observed in the LEF group.

Efeitos do adalimumabe, clindamicina e/ou rifampicina no tratamento da hidradenite supurativa: um protocolo de revisão sistemática / Effects of adalimumab, clindamycin, and/or rifampicin in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review protocol

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a efetividade, segurança, níveis de dor e qualidade de vida associados ao uso de adalimumabe, clindamicina e/ou rifampicina no tratamento da hidradenite supurativa. MÉTODO: Serão incluídos estudos do tipo coorte prospectiva e retrospectiva, ensaios clínicos randomizados e de equivalência, bem como análises econômicas realizadas com adultos diagnosticados com hidradenite supurativa, que tenham utilizado pelo menos uma das seguintes alternativas terapêuticas: adalimumabe, clindamicina ou rifampicina. Os estudos devem abordar um ou mais desfechos, tais como contagem de abscessos e/ou nódulos, presença de nódulos inflamatórios, níveis de dor, qualidade de vida, segurança e custos. As bases de dados consultadas serão: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE, Interface OVID), Excerpta Medica DataBASE (EMBASE), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, interface EBSCO), Psychological Abstracts (PsycINFO, interface EBSCO), Web of Science (WoS) e Source-Neutral Abstract and Citation Database (Scopus). Os processos de triagem, seleção e extração serão conduzidos por pesquisadores independentes e previamente treinados. O risco de viés será avaliado por meio dos instrumentos Risk of Bias 2.0 e ROBINS-I. Os resultados serão combinados em uma síntese qualitativa e quantitativa, com a realização de análises de especificidade e subgrupos.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, pain, and quality of life associated with the use of adalimumab, clindamycin, and/or rifampicin in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. METHOD: Prospective and retrospective cohort studies randomized clinical trials and equivalence studies, and economic analyses, conducted in adults diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa who have used at least one of the following therapeutic alternatives: adalimumab, clindamycin, or rifampicin, will be included. Studies should address one or more outcomes such as abscess and/or nodule counts, presence of inflammatory nodules, pain levels, quality of life, safety, and cost. Databases consulted will include Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE, OVID interface), Excerpta Medica DataBASE (EMBASE), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, EBSCO interface), Psychological Abstracts (PsycINFO, EBSCO interface), Web of Science (WoS), and Source-Neutral Abstract and Citation Database (Scopus). Screening, selection, and extraction processes will be conducted by independent and previously trained researchers. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Risk of Bias 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools. Results will be summarized in a qualitative and quantitative synthesis, including specificity and subgroup analyses.

Polymersomes for protein drug delivery across intestinal mucosa.

The oral administration is the route preferred by patients due to its multiple advantages. In the case of biopharmaceuticals, due to their low stability and absorption in the intestine, these molecules must be administered by injectable routes. To circumvent these problems, several strategies have been studied, among which the use of nanosystems, such as polymersomes, can be highlighted. In this work the potential of poloxamer 401 polymersomes as a system for oral delivery of antibodies was evaluated. IgG-FITC-loaded poloxamer 401 polymerosomes were initially used to assess whether it improves intestinal epithelial permeation in Caco-2 cell monolayers. Subsequently, epithelial/macrophage co-culture model was used to evaluate the ability of poloxamer 401 polymersomes containing adalimumab to reduce proinflammatory cytokine levels. The data showed that polymersome-encapsulated IgG increased the transport across intestinal Caco-2 monolayers 2.7-fold compared to the antibody in solution. Also, when comparing the groups of blank polymersomes with polymersomes containing adalimumab, decreases of 1.5-, 5.5-, and 2.4-fold in TNF-α concentrations were observed for the polymersomes containing 1.5, 3.75, and 15 µg/mL of adalimumab, respectively. This could indicate a possibility for the oral administration of biopharmaceuticals which would revolutionize many conditions that require the systemic administration such as in inflammatory bowel disease.

Expenditure of biological drugs for rheumatoid arthritis treatment in the Brazilian public health system.

OBJECTIVE: This work aims to analyze the quantity and expenses related to biological drugs used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in outpatient public care within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). METHODS: It is a cross-sectional descriptive study based on secondary data from a historical series, referring to the purchase, volume, and the number of patients treated with different biological drugs (infliximabe, etanercept, adalimumab, rituximab, abatacept, tocilizumab, golimumab, and certolizumab pegol) for RA treatment in outpatient care from 2012 to 2017. The data were extracted from the SUS Outpatient Information System database-SIA/SUS and included ten drugs used for RA treatment. The study assessed the quantity and expenditure of these drugs, the number of RA patients treated, and the expenditure by RA subtypes. The National Broad Consumer Price Index was used to adjust the expenditures for December 2017. RESULTS: The Ministry of Health allocated approximately $500 million to provide about 2 million units of biological drugs for RA patients from 2012 to 2017. The supply of adalimumab 40 mg and etanercept 50 mg accounted for 68.3% of the total expenditure. The subtypes "other rheumatoid arthritis with rheumatoid factor" (ICD-10 M05.8), "rheumatoid arthritis without rheumatoid factor" (ICD-10 M06.0), and "Felty's syndrome" (M05. 0) represented 84.5% of the total expenditures. The proportion of patients treated with biological drugs increased by 33.0%. There was a significant 83.0% increase in the number of patients using biological drugs compared to the overall number of RA patients treated during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained allow us to draw a more recent profile of expenditure on RA treatment and indicate trends in the use of biological drugs for this condition, generating data that can support management decisions in public health policies.

Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio decreased in patients with psoriasis treated with ixekizumab.

Background: Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a novel inflammatory biomarker which has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. Objective: To study MHR in patients with psoriasis treated with biological agents. Methods: Between April 2019 and August 2022, MHR was retrospectively evaluated in patients with psoriasis before and 3 months after treatment with infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, ixekizumab, secukinumab, and ustekinumab in a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Results: This study included 128 patients, 53 females and 75 males. 39 (30.5%) patients were treated with infliximab, 26 (20.3%) with adalimumab, 8 (6.3%) with etanercept, 18 (14.1%) with ixekizumab, 12 (9.4%) with secukinumab, and 25 (19.5%) with ustekinumab. The median MHR was 0.0127 (0.0086-0.0165) in females and 0.0146 (0.0119-0.0200) in males (p = 0.011). The median MHR decreased after treatment with adalimumab, ixekizumab, secukinumab, and ustekinumab, whereas it increased after treatment with infliximab and etanercept (p = 0.790, p = 0.015, p = 0.754, p = 0.221, p = 0.276, p = 0.889, respectively). Conclusion: MHR significantly decreased in patients with psoriasis after treatment with ixekizumab. Since high MHR levels have been associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases, ixekizumab might have a positive impact in the treatment of psoriasis patients who had cardiovascular diseases. We suggest that MHR may be useful both in establishing appropriate biological agent treatment and in the follow-up of patients with psoriasis treated with biological agents.

Therapeutic Equivalence of Biosimilar and Reference Biologic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Biosimilar drugs are potentially lower-cost versions of biologics that may improve access to therapy. However, there is a lack of adequate systematic reviews demonstrating equivalence between these drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity associated with biosimilars of adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab compared with their reference biologics in patients with RA. Data Sources: MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and LILACS databases were searched from inception to September 2021. Study Selection: Head-to-head randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of biosimilars of adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab and their biologic reference drugs for RA were assessed. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two authors independently abstracted all data. Meta-analysis was conducted with bayesian random effects using relative risks (RRs) for binary outcomes and standardized mean differences (SMDs) for continuous outcomes, with 95% credible intervals (CrIs) and trial sequential analysis. Specific domains were assessed for the risk of bias in equivalence and noninferiority trials. This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Main Outcomes and Measures: Equivalence was tested using prespecified margins for the American College of Rheumatology criteria, with at least 20% improvement in the core set measures (ACR20) (ie, RR, 0.94 to 1.06), and for the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) (ie, SMD, -0.22 to 0.22). Secondary outcomes included 14 items measuring safety and immunogenicity. Results: A total of 25 head-to-head trials provided data on 10 642 randomized patients with moderate to severe RA. Biosimilars met equivalence with reference biologics in terms of ACR20 response (24 RCTs with 10 259 patients; RR, 1.01; 95% CrI, 0.98 to 1.04; τ2 = 0.000) and change of HAQ-DI scores (14 RCTs with 5579 patients; SMD, -0.04; 95% CrI, -0.11 to 0.02; τ2 = 0.002) considering prespecified margins of equivalence. Trial sequential analysis found evidence for equivalence for ACR20 since 2017 and HAQ-DI since 2016. Overall, biosimilars were associated with similar safety and immunogenicity profiles compared with reference biologics. Conclusion and Relevance: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, biosimilars of adalimumab, infliximab, and etanercept were associated with clinically equivalent treatment effects compared with their reference biologics for the treatment of RA.

Eficacia y seguridad de adalimumab en pacientes adultos con artritis reumatoide activa moderada a grave con intolerancia y/o falla a terapia convencional e infliximab / Efficacy and safety of adalimumab in adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis with intolerance and/or failure to conventional therapy and infliximab

ANTECEDENTES: El presente dictamen expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de adalimumab en pacientes adultos con artritis reumatoide activa moderada a grave con intolerancia y/o falla a terapia convencional e infliximab. Esta evaluación se realiza en respuesta a la solicitud de la médica especialista en reumatología Ana Karina La Madrid Barreto del Hospital III José Cayetano Heredia de Piura, quien siguiendo la Directiva N° 003-IETSIESSALUD-2016, envió al Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación - IETSI la solicitud de autorización de uso del producto farmacéutico adalimumab no incluido en el Petitorio Farmacológico de EsSalud. ASPECTOS GENERALES: La artritis reumatoide (AR) es una enfermedad crónica inflamatoria de etiología desconocida, que inicialmente afecta las articulaciones sinoviales (England 2022; SSR 2021). La AR es una enfermedad típicamente simétrica y, usualmente, si no es ontrolada, ocasiona la destrucción de las articulaciones debido a la erosión del cartílago el hueso, causando deformaciones en

Immunosuppression Protocols in Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplantation-A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal transplantation (IT) and multivisceral transplantation (MVT) are curative therapies for patients with intestinal failure and severe complications associated with total parenteral nutrition. High levels of immunosuppression are required to prevent acute cellular rejection (ACR) from the bowel. Studies regarding pre-treatment, induction, and post-transplant therapy have improved graft acceptance, reducing immunosuppression doses and infectious complications. However, the low rate of IT and MVT and the small number of specialized centers have resulted in a limited number of evidence-based immunosuppression protocols. We reviewed immunosuppression in IT and MVT to draw useful conclusions regarding the best protocol strategies for the induction, maintenance, and management of ACR. METHODS: A review was performed using the PubMed database. Articles on immunosuppression protocols in IT and MVT that addressed graft rejection, infection, or survival, published between 2006 and 2022, were selected. RESULTS: A total of 690 articles were selected. Two researchers applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and selected 14 articles independently. For induction, thymoglobulin, alemtuzumab, and basiliximab are the most frequently used immunosuppressants for induction. Classic maintenance therapy consists of a combination of corticosteroids and tacrolimus. Methylprednisolone with an increased tacrolimus dose is used most frequently to manage ACR. Depending on the receptor response, such as thymoglobulin, infliximab, adalimumab, or bortezomib, other immunosuppressants should be considered. CONCLUSIONS: There have been great advances in IT and TMV immunosuppression. We conclude that the gold standard immunosuppressive protocol is triple therapy, comprising induction with thymoglobulin, maintenance with steroids for a few months, and tacrolimus and mycophenolate therapy. Innovative approaches for treating intestinal rejection episodes with more appropriate drugs, such as infliximab, adalimumab, or bortezomib, are necessary.

Estimate of the cost per responder for treatment with biological therapies of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Colombia for first-year and maintenance periods.

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease manifesting as erythematous and desquamative dermatoses. OBJECTIVES: This study estimated the cost per responder (CPR) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis with biologic therapies approved by the Colombian regulatory agency. METHODS: This secondary study used a modeling based CPR estimation to evaluate psoriasis therapies in Colombia. We calculated CPR of achieving Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores of 75, 90, and 100 for biological treatments based on the number needed to treat (NNT), reported in previously published network meta-analyses. We calculated CPR for the first year and for the maintenance period. We ranked alternatives using the estimated CPR from each literature source using the Borda count method. RESULTS: Adalimumab, infliximab and etanercept were the least expensive alternatives. Ixekizumab, guselkumab and secukinumab were the treatments with the lowest NNT for PASI 75, 90, and 100. For both first year and maintenance periods, adalimumab, infliximab, guselkumab and ixekizumab had the lowest CPR. Sensitivity analyzes showed consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: The application of CPR analysis of biologics to treat plaque psoriasis demonstrated that adalimumab, infliximab, guselkumab, and ixekizumab had the lowest CPR in the first year of treatment and during the maintenance period.

Neurotuberculosis in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis Using Long-Term Adalimumab: A Rare Case.

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB), a global public health problem, is a disease with a high incidence and prevalence worldwide. The risk of developing TB increases after starting anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). Isolated neurotuberculosis (NTB) without other manifestations is a rare form of infection in these patients. This article reports a case of a severe UC patient with isolated NTB following long-term therapy with adalimumab and discusses the clinical aspects, diagnosis, management, and prognosis. CASE REPORT A 34-year-old female patient with severe UC with pancolitis reported continuous and progressive holocranial headaches associated with a daily fever of 38°C and night sweats after 4 years of using adalimumab and after being in deep remission. Annually, she was screened for latent TB with chest X-rays and a Mantoux tuberculin skin test, and she always had negative results for TB. On cerebral magnetic resonance imaging with post-contrast sequences, small cortical lesions in the left frontal lobe and 2 larger lesions were visualized and were suggestive of tuberculomas. The initial management consisted of the suspension of immunosuppressive therapy and treatment with rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, and prednisone. The patient showed clinical and neurological improvement and was clinically asymptomatic, with no changes in laboratory tests. Also, she had no neurological sequelae and was taking maintenance therapy with prednisone as indicated by the neurologist. CONCLUSIONS Early recognition of symptoms of neurological involvement of TB, suspension of anti-TNF and adequate treatment are fundamental steps to prevent complications.

Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Graves Orbitopathy: Precision Medicine?

PURPOSE: To summarize the development, nomenclature, and rationale of the reported use of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) in Graves Orbitopathy (GO) and to undertake a systematic review of the management of GO with Mabs. METHODS: The Pubmed and Embase databases and the Federal Brazilian searching site (Periódicos-CAPES) were screened. The authors searched all the keywords "monoclonal antibodies," "adalimumab," "belimumab," "infliximab," "rituximab," "teprotumumab," and "tocilizumab" combined with the terms "Graves Orbitopathy," "Graves eye disease" and "thyroid eye disease." All the articles published in English, French, and Spanish from 2000 to May 2022 were screened. Only publications with quantitative data on the activity of orbitopathy, proptosis, or both were included. RESULTS: Seventy-six articles of the 954 screened records met the inclusion criteria. Seven Mabs were described for treating GO. The three most reported Mabs were Rituximab, Tocilizumab, and Teprotumumab. Only eight randomized clinical trials compared the effect of these three Mabs and Belimumab with the effect of steroids or placebos. Adalimumab, Infliximab, and K1-70 only appeared in a few case series and case reports. Frequent mild-to-moderate and few major side effects occurred with the three most used Mabs. Relapse rates ranged from 7.4% for Tocilizumab to at least 29.4% for Teprotumumab. No randomized clinical trials compared Mabs head-to-head. CONCLUSION: Considering the lack of head-to-head comparisons between Mabs, the relapse rate, the possibility of severe collateral effects, and the cost of Mabs, it is not clear which Mab is the safest and most useful to treat GO.

Impact of initial therapy with upadacitinib or adalimumab on achievement of 48-week treatment goals in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: post hoc analysis of SELECT-COMPARE.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the importance of treatment sequencing in SELECT-COMPARE, assessing potential differences between starting upadacitinib or adalimumab therapy following inadequate MTX response. METHODS: Patients from SELECT-COMPARE were randomized to upadacitinib 15 mg once daily, placebo or adalimumab 40 mg. Per protocol, patients with <20% improvement in tender or swollen joint counts (weeks 14, 18, 22) or failure to achieve Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) low disease activity (LDA) at week 26 were blindly switched from upadacitinib to adalimumab or vice versa. Treatment outcomes, including clinical remission/LDA, physical function, pain and a novel combined endpoint for deep response, were evaluated through 48 weeks and corresponding time-averaged response rates determined. Data were analysed by initial randomized group regardless of any subsequent switch in therapy. RESULTS: This post hoc analysis included 651 patients initially randomized to upadacitinib (of whom 252 switched to adalimumab) and 327 patients initially randomized to adalimumab (of whom 159 switched to upadacitinib). At week 48, patients randomized to either therapy demonstrated similar achievement of most treatment endpoints. Greater improvements in the total time spent in a lower disease state were observed for initial upadacitinib vs initial adalimumab therapy across most clinical and patient-reported outcomes through 48 weeks, and the median time to DAS28(CRP) <2.6/≤3.2 occurred 6-8 weeks earlier among those randomized to upadacitinib. CONCLUSION: Following a modified treat-to-target strategy, rates of CDAI remission/LDA and DAS28(CRP) <2.6/≤3.2 at 48 weeks were similar, regardless of starting therapy. However, patients initially receiving upadacitinib reached treatment targets more quickly and spent more time in clinical targets over the initial 48 weeks of treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02629159.

Multiple Sclerosis in a Patient with Intermediate Uveitis and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treated with Adalimumab: A Case Report.

PURPOSE: To report a case of multiple sclerosis (MS) development in a patient with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and bilateral intermediate uveitis (IU) treated with Adalimumab. CASE REPORT: A 21-year-old Colombian woman diagnosed with JIA and bilateral refractory IU treated with methotrexate and Adalimumab with difficult control of the disease and multiple ocular complications. Eight years after starting Adalimumab, the patient presented paresthesia in the left upper limb. Radiologic findings in the brain and cervical spine MRI confirmed the diagnosis of MS. CONCLUSIONS: We reported the first case of MS development in a patient with JIA treated with Adalimumab and the third in a patient with noninfectious uveitis treated with anti-TNFα. It remains uncertain whether MS is secondary to anti-TNFα therapy or is linked to a polyautoimmunity phenomenon.

Eficacia y seguridad de la determinación de niveles de fármacos anti-TNF (infliximab, adalimumab) en la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal / Efficacy and safety of the determination of anti-TNF drug levels (infliximab, adalimumab) in inflammatory bowel disease

INTRODUCCIÓN: La enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII), enfermedad de Crohn (EC) y colitis ulcerosa (CU), es una patología de incidencia creciente que impacta notablemente sobre la calidad de vida de los pacientes. Dentro del arsenal terapéutico para la EII se encuentran los inhibidores del factor de necrosis tumoral (anti-TNF), siendo el infliximab y el adalimumab los más empleados. Sus beneficios son mejoría sintomática, cicatrización de lesiones y disminución de complicaciones, lo cual implica reducción de hospitalizaciones, intervenciones quirúrgicas y mejoría de la calidad de vida del paciente con un buen perfil de seguridad y coste-efectividad. Sus limitaciones son la falta de respuesta primaria y la pérdida de respuesta, situaciones en las que la medición de los niveles plasmáticos del fármaco o su monitorización con intención terapéutica (Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, TDM) podría ayudar a decidir la mejor actitud y a identificar pacientes respondedores susceptibles de recibir menores dosis. Así, la determinación de niveles de fármaco anti-TNF y de sus anticuerpos se podría utilizar a través de dos estrategias posibles: la proactiva (determinación de niveles de fármaco, con cierta periodicidad, en todos los pacientes en tratamiento para ajustar la dosis) y la reactiva (determinación de niveles de fármaco solo en caso de pérdida de respuesta al tratamiento). OBJETIVOS: Analizar la eficacia, seguridad y coste-efectividad en el SNS de la determinación de niveles plasmáticos de fármacos biológicos (infliximab, adalimumab) en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal. MÉTODOS: Tras la definición de las preguntas de investigación se definieron varias estrategias de búsqueda bibliográfica para diferentes bases de datos (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL y Cochrane Library). La selección, depuración y síntesis de la información se realizó por duplicado y en caso de duda, esta fue resulta por consenso. Para la evaluación de la calidad de las revisiones sistemáticas empleamos la herramienta AMSTAR 2, para los ensayos clínicos la escala ROB 2 desarrollada por la Colaboración Cochrane y para los estudios observacionales controlados la herramienta Robins-I. La síntesis de la evidencia se realizó utilizando la metodología GRADE con la herramienta GRADE-Pro. RESULTADOS: Resultados de efectividad: TDM reactiva no demostró ser superior a la optimización empírica en cuanto a la obtención y mantenimiento de la respuesta clínica de la EII, aunque sí demostró que el empleo de esta estrategia se relacionaba con un menor desarrollo de anticuerpos frente al fármaco y era más coste-efectiva. Resultados en seguridad: no se observan diferencias entre la TDM proactiva y reactiva en cuanto al mantenimiento de la remisión clínica, aunque la TDM proactiva podría aumentar la durabilidad del tratamiento y la seguridad del mismo, evitando reacciones infusionales agudas, aparición de anticuerpos antifármaco e incluso disminuyendo la probabilidad de cirugía. IDEAS CLAVE: 1. No se han encontrado suficientes ensayos clínicos de buena calidad dirigidos a estudiar el beneficio de la TDM reactiva frente a la optimización empírica del tratamiento anti-TNF para el mantenimiento de la remisión clínica en pacientes con Enfermedad Inflamatoria Intestinal. 2. En los casos en los que se evidencie una pérdida de respuesta al tratamiento, la TDM reactiva podría ser útil para disminuir los costes asociados al tratamiento con anti-TNF. También podría evitar reacciones infusionales agudas y la aparición de anticuerpos, optimizando el tratamiento anti-TNF y reduciendo el uso innecesario de estos fármacos, lo que aumentaría su coste-eficacia. 3. Se sugiere el desarrollo de ensayos clínicos dirigidos a conocer los beneficios de la TDM reactiva. 4. Los estudios analizados muestran que la TDM proactiva no parece ser superior a la optimización empírica del tratamiento anti-TNF para el mantenimiento de la remisión clínica en pacientes con EII.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a pathology with increasing incidence that significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. Within the therapeutic arsenal for IBD are tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) inhibitors, with infliximab and adalimumab being the most widely used. Its benefits are symptomatic improvement, wound healing and reduction of complications, which implies reduction of hospitalizations, surgical interventions and improvement of the patient's quality of life with a good safety and cost-effectiveness profile. Its limitations are the lack of primary response and the loss of response, situations in which the measurement of the plasmatic levels of the drug or its Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) could help to decide the best therapeutic attitude and to identify patients responders susceptible to receiving lower doses. Thus, the determination of anti-TNF drug levels and its antibodies could be used through two possible strategies: proactive (determination of drug levels, with a certain periodicity, in all patients undergoing treatment to adjust the dose) and the reactive (determination of drug levels only in case of loss of response to treatment). AIMS: To analyze the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness in the SNS of tests aimed at determining the plasmatic levels of biological drugs (infliximab, adalimumab) in inflammatory bowel disease. RESULTS: Effectiveness results: reactive TDM did not prove to be superior to empirical optimization in terms of obtaining and maintaining clinical response to IBD, although it did demonstrate that the use of this strategy was associated with less development of antibodies against the drug and it was more cost-effective. Safety results: no differences were observed between proactive and reactive TDM in terms of maintenance of clinical remission, although proactive TDM could increase the durability of treatment and its safety, avoiding acute infusion reactions, the appearance of antidrug antibodies and even decreasing the probability of surgery. KEY IDEAS: 1. Not enough good quality clinical trials have been found to study the benefit of reactive TDM versus empirical optimization of antiTNF treatment for the maintenance of clinical remission in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. 2. In cases where there is evidence of a loss of response to treatment, reactive TDM could be useful to reduce the costs associated with anti-TNF treatment. It could also prevent acute infusion reactions and the appearance of antibodies, optimizing anti-TNF treatment and reducing the unnecessary use of these drugs, which would increase their cost-effectiveness. 3. The development of clinical trials aimed at discovering the benefits of the Therapeutic Monitoring of Reactive Drugs is suggested. 4. The studies analyzed show that proactive TDM does not seem to be superior to empirical optimization of anti-TNF treatment for the maintenance of clinical remission in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.