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Data published in journal Arthritis & Rheumatism shows Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) together with methotrexate (MTX) rapidly reduces symptoms of disease and inhibited progression of joint damage in adult patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with sustained results for up to one year.
“In the RAPID 1 study, Cimzia, together with MTX, had a rapid onset of action and inhibited structural damage early in adults with rheumatoid arthritis,†said lead investigator Edward Keystone MD of The Rebecca MacDonald Center for Arthritis, Mount Sinai Hospital, The University of Toronto.
“This demonstrated a clear therapeutic benefit for patients with a reduction in swollen and tender joints, pain and fatigue as early as one week after treatment, and signs of preventing long-term structural damage by 16 weeks,”
In the one-year study, patients treated with Cimzia with MTX experienced significant improvements in physical function and quality of life from week 1 and sustained for up to one year, measured by mean change from baseline in HAQ-DI.
Radiographic data showedthe treatment inhibited progression of RA, with a significantly smaller change from baseline in modified Total Sharp Score (TSS) at 24 and 52 weeks of treatment, compared with MTX alone. A significant difference between patients on the combined treatment and placebo was observed as early as 16 weeks in clinical non-responders.
“Cimzia is the first anti-TNF to demonstrate such early results in disease progression,†said Iris Loew-Friedrich MD PhD, Chief Medical Officer at UCB.
“UCB looks forward to bringing these benefits to people who suffer from RA once the regulatory review process is completed,”
