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New data show rapid and sustained improvements in symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA, as early as the first week, and inhibition of progression of structural joint damage (seen at week 24) following treatment with certolizumab pegol (Cimzia®), together with methotrexate (MTX), was sustained for two years.
The results, from an open-label extension study to RAPID 1, were presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) meeting in Copenhagen.
New data from a post-hoc analysis, also presented at EULAR, showed the speed of developing a clinical response to treatment with 200mg certolizumab pegol and MTX is important in improving long-term outcomes for patients living with active RA. The analysis found most patients responded by week 6. Patients who achieved control early at week 6 had significantly better control of symptoms and quality of life at one year, compared with patients who achieved a later response at week 12.
“These data confirm the rapid and sustained effect of Cimzia in providing effective and clinically meaningful relief of rheumatoid arthritis, and reducing disease progression,” said lead investigator Edward Keystone, MD, The Rebecca MacDonald Center for Arthritis, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto. “Recently published clinical data have shown Cimzia to work rapidly, demonstrating an early response to treatment is associated with greater improvements in long-term outcomes, such as pain relief and physical function. This highlights the importance of using rapid-acting treatments to control inflammation in this debilitating condition.”
Radiographic data presented in the same study found the inhibition of progression of structural joint damage observed in RAPID 1 at 24 and 52 weeks in patients who completed treatment with certolizumab pegol and MTX, compared with MTX alone (p<0.001), was maintained at 100 weeks. The mean change from baseline in modified total Sharp score (mTSS) for the combined certolizumab pegol dose groups was 0.59.
