scholarly journals Placebo Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Bechman ◽  
Mark Yates ◽  
Sam Norton ◽  
Andrew P. Cope ◽  
James B. Galloway
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Placebo Response ◽  
Janus Kinase ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
American College Of Rheumatology ◽  
Factor Therapy ◽  
Expectation Bias ◽  
Over Time

Objective.Understanding the placebo response is critical to interpreting treatment efficacy, particularly for agents with a ceiling to their therapeutic effect, where an increasing placebo response makes it harder to detect potential benefit. The objective of this study is to assess the change in placebo responses over time in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCT) for drug licensing authorization.Methods.The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register database was searched to identify RCT of biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in RA. Studies were excluded if patients were conventional synthetic DMARD (csDMARD)–naive, not receiving background csDMARD therapy, or were biologic experienced. Metaregression model was used to evaluate changes in American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20, ACR50, and ACR70 treatment response over time.Results.There were 32 trials in total: anti–tumor necrosis factor therapy (n = 15), tocilizumab (n = 4), abatacept (n = 2), rituximab (n = 2), and Janus kinase inhibitors (n = 9). From 1999 to 2018, there was no significant trend in the age or sex of patients in the placebo arm. Disease duration, swollen joint count, and 28-joint count Disease Activity Score using erythrocyte sedimentation rate at baseline all significantly declined over time. There was a statistically significant increase in placebo ACR50 and ACR70 responses (ACR50 β = 0.41, 95% CI 0.09–0.74, p = 0.01; ACR70 β = 0.18, 95% CI 0.04–0.31, p = 0.01) that remained significant after controlling for potential confounders.Conclusion.There has been a rise in the placebo response in RA clinical trials over the last 2 decades. Shifting RA phenotype, changes in trial design, and expectation bias are possible explanations for this phenomenon. This observation has important implications when evaluating newer novel agents against established therapies.

scholarly journals Infections in baricitinib clinical trials for patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 1290-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin L Winthrop ◽  
Masayoshi Harigai ◽  
Mark C Genovese ◽  
Stephen Lindsey ◽  
Tsutomu Takeuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Active Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Opportunistic Infections ◽  
Response Assessment ◽  
Janus Kinase ◽  
Jak2 Inhibitor ◽  
Serious Infection ◽  
Adjusted Incidence Rate ◽  
Over Time

ObjectivesTo evaluate the incidence of infection in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with baricitinib, an oral selective Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2 inhibitor.MethodsInfections are summarised from an integrated database (8 phase 3/2/1b clinical trials and 1 long-term extension (LTE)) with data to 1 April 2017. The ‘all-bari-RA’ analysis set included patients who received any baricitinib dose. Placebo comparison was based on six studies with 4 mg and placebo to week 24, including four trials with 2 mg (placebo-controlled set). Dose–response assessment was based on four studies with 2 mg and 4 mg, including LTE data (2–4 mg extended set).ResultsThere were 3492 patients who received baricitinib for 7860 patient-years (PY) of exposure (median 2.6 years, maximum 6.1 years). Treatment-emergent infections were higher for baricitinib versus placebo (exposure-adjusted incidence rate (IR)/100 PY: placebo 75.9, 2 mg 84.0 (p not significant), 4 mg 88.4 (p≤0.001)). The IR of serious infection was similar for baricitinib versus placebo and stable over time (all-bari-RA IR 3.0/100 PY). There were 11 cases of tuberculosis (all-bari-RA IR 0.1/100 PY); all occurred with 4 mg in endemic regions. Herpes zoster (HZ) IR/100 PY was higher for baricitinib versus placebo (placebo 1.0, 2 mg 3.1 (p not significant), 4 mg 4.3 (p≤0.01)); rates remained elevated and stable over time (all-bari-RA 3.3). Opportunistic infections, including multidermatomal HZ, were infrequent in the baricitinib programme (all-bari-RA IR 0.5/100 PY).ConclusionsIncreased rates of treatment-emergent infections including HZ were observed in patients with RA treated with baricitinib, consistent with baricitinib’s immunomodulatory mode of action.

scholarly journals Effect of janus kinase inhibitors and methotrexate combination on malignancy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Solipuram ◽  
Akhila Mohan ◽  
Roshniben Patel ◽  
Ruoning Ni
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Janus Kinase ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Risk Of Malignancy

Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease. The combination therapy of methotrexate (MTX) and Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) is commonly used. Patients with RA are at increased risk of malignancy, however, it remains unclear whether the combination therapy is associated with a higher risk. Objective To assess the malignancy risk among patients with RA receiving combination therapy of JAKi and MTX compared to MTX alone. Methods PubMed, Cochrane and Embase were thoroughly searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with RA receiving JAKi and MTX, from inception to July 2020. Primary endpoints were malignancy events, Non melanomatous skin cancer (NMSC) and malignancy excluding NMSC and secondary endpoints were serious adverse events (SAE), deaths. Risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI were calculated using the Mantel–Haenszel random-effect method. Results 659 publications were screened and 13 RCTs with a total of 6911 patients were included in the analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in malignancy [RR = 1.42; 95% CI (0.59, 3.41)], neither NMSC [RR = 1.44 (0.36, 5.76)] nor malignancies excluding NMSC [RR = 1.12 (0.40, 3.13)]. No statistically significant difference between the two groups for SAE [RR = 1.15 (0.90, 1.47)] and deaths [RR = 1.99 (0.75, 5.27)] was found. Conclusion The adjunction of JAKi to MTX is not associated with an increased risk of malignancy when compared to MTX alone. There is no increased risk of SAE and deaths when compared to MTX alone in patients with RA.

scholarly journals Managing Osteoporosis and Joint Damage in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1241
Author(s):  
Yoshiya Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Joint Destruction ◽  
Joint Damage ◽  
Nuclear Factor Κb ◽  
Cartilage Destruction ◽  
Janus Kinase ◽  
Systemic Autoimmune Disease ◽  
And Cartilage

In rheumatoid arthritis, a representative systemic autoimmune disease, immune abnormality and accompanying persistent synovitis cause bone and cartilage destruction and systemic osteoporosis. Biologics targeting tumor necrosis factor, which plays a central role in the inflammatory process, and Janus kinase inhibitors have been introduced in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, making clinical remission a realistic treatment goal. These drugs can prevent structural damage to bone and cartilage. In addition, osteoporosis, caused by factors such as menopause, aging, immobility, and glucocorticoid use, can be treated with bisphosphonates and the anti-receptor activator of the nuclear factor-κB ligand antibody. An imbalance in the immune system in rheumatoid arthritis induces an imbalance in bone metabolism. However, osteoporosis and bone and cartilage destruction occur through totally different mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms underlying osteoporosis and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis leads to improved care and the development of new treatments.

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