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Abstract Number: 2561

Switching Between TNF-Inhibitors in Psoriatic Arthritis: Data From the NOR-DMARD Study

Karen M. Fagerli1, Elisabeth Lie2, Désirée van der Heijde3, Marte S. Heiberg4, Åse S. Lexberg5, Knut Mikkelsen6, Erik Rødevand7, Synnøve Kalstad8 and Tore K. Kvien1, 1Dept. of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway, 2Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway, 3Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands, 4Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet hospital, Oslo, Norway, 5Department of Rheumatology, Vestre Viken, Drammen, Norway, 6Lillehammer Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Lillehammer, Norway, 7Dept. of Rheumatology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, 8Dept. of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromsø, Norway

Meeting: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2012

Keywords: Psoriatic arthritis

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Session Information

Title: Spondylarthropathies and Psoriatic Arthritis - Clinical Aspects and Treatment: Psoriatic Arthritis

Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ACR)

Background/Purpose: Although TNF-inhibitors (TNFi) have proven efficacy in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), some patients do not respond to or do not tolerate their first TNFi. The efficacy of a second TNFi in this group is not well established. Our objective was to investigate the efficacy of switching to a second TNFi in PsA patients.

Methods: Patients were selected from NOR-DMARD – a longitudinal observational study (LOS) in which patients with inflammatory arthropathies are included when starting a new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). Patients with PsA receiving their 1st TNFi were selected, and among these patients a subgroup who later switched to a 2nd TNFi was identified (switchers). Three-month response and one year drug-survival were assessed for non-switchers and for the 1st and 2nd TNFi of the switchers. Selected outcome measures were ACR20/50/70 and EULAR responses, DAS28 remission and low disease activity rates, patient and physician global, MHAQ and SF6D. Both state and change from baseline were assessed, and compared statistically between switchers and non-switchers using Chi2 and independent t-tests. Drug survival was compared by log-rank test. The overall response and drug survival to the first TNFi (switchers + non-switchers) was also assessed.

Results: Baseline characteristics are shown in table 1. There were no significant differences between switchers and non-switchers at baseline. There were significant differences in response between non-switchers and switchers receiving their 1st TNFi for several outcome measures, and these differences were more pronounced for the 2nd TNFi of the switchers with highly significant p-values for most outcome measures (table 2).One-year drug survival for the 2nd TNFi in switchers and non-switchers was 0.56 vs. 0.83 (p-value<0.001).

The overall ACR 20/50/70 responses for the 1st TNFi (n=439) were 59.9/37.8/29.6%, and the estimated 1-year drug survival was 0.74 – hence clearly superior to the 2nd TNFi (table 2).

There was no difference in response to second TNFi when comparing those who discontinued due to lack of efficacy (n=45) to those who discontinued due to adverse events (n=33).

Conclusion: Among patients with PsA who switched to a second TNFi after having failed their first TNFi, less than half achieved a clinical response at 3 months in this LOS. This observation highlights the need for treatments for PsA with other mechanisms of action.

Table 1: Baseline characteristics

Non-switchers

N=344

Switchers

1st TNFi

(N=95)

2nd TNFi

(N=95)

Age

46.8 (11.7)

46.1 (11.6)

47.7 (11.5)

Males sex (%)

55.2

48.4

48.4

Type of TNFi (%)

      Etanercept

49.4

52.6

32.6

      Infliximab

10.5

13.7

16.8

      Adalimumab

29.1

29.5

36.8

      Golimumab

10.5

4.2

11.6

      Certolizumab

0.6

0

2.1

Co-Medication (%)

62.3

54.8

51.7

Disease duration (yrs)

6.0 (1.5-12.4)

4.7 (1.3-13.8)

6.5 (2.7-14.2)

Current smoker (%)

29.9

30.9

32.6

Previous DMARDs

1.5 (1.1)

1.7 (1.1)

1.7 (1.1)

CRP (median(IQR))

9 (5-20)

8 (4.27)

5 (2-19)

Swollen joints (median(IQR))

3 (1-6)

3 (1-6)

2 (0-4)

DAS28

4.1 (1.3)

4.4 (1.3)

4.2 (1.5)

Physician global

36.5 (17.5)

39.5 (18.4)

34.7 (18.6)

Patient global

53.2 (22.9)

57.4 (21.2)

55.3 (22.7)

MHAQ score

0.68 (0.45)

0.77 (0.47)

0.74 (0.48)

SF6D

0.59 (0.12)

0.58 (0.11)

0.59(0.13)

Mean (SD) unless otherwise indicated. VAS (0-100),  MHAQ = Modified health assessment questionnaire (0-3), SF-6D = Short form  -6 dimensions (0-1).

Table 2: 3-month response

Non-switchers

N=259

Switchers

P-value

1st TNFi

N=74

2nd TNFi

N=63

Non-switcher vs.

1st TNFi (switchers)

Non-switchers vs.

2nd TNFi (switchers)

ACR20 (%)

63.0

49.3

40.7

0.05

0.003

ACR50 (%)

40.0

30.4

24.1

0.16

0.03

ACR70 (%)

31.5

23.2

13.0

0.23

0.007

EULAR response (%)

53.4

49.0

19.5

0.63

<0.001

DAS28 <2.6 (%)

61.6

39.0

31.1

0.003

<0.001

DAS28 ≤3.2 (%)

74.7

57.6

37.8

0.014

<0.001

DAS28

2.4 (1.3)

3.2 (1.6)

3.5 (1.6)

<0.001

<0.001

 DAS28 Δ

-1.7 (1.3)

-1.4 (1.5)

–0.6 (1.4)

0.17

<0.001

Physician global(0-100)

13.8 (12.9)

23.5 (18.9)

22.0 (17.3)

<0.001

<0.001

         Physician global Δ

-22.7 (19.9)

-16.9 (27.3)

-14.3 (23.6)

0.05

0.01

Patient global (0-100)

27.8 (23.7)

34.2 (22.9)

38.2 (23.9)

0.04

0.003

Patient global Δ

-25.5 (25.5)

-20.8 (28.5)

-14.9 (27.6)

0.19

0.006

MHAQ (0-3)

0.36 (0.39)

0.50 (0.44)

0.50 (0.45)

0.01

0.017

 MHAQ Δ

–0.32 (0.42)

–0.27 (0.45)

–0.23 (0.42)

0.40

0.15

SF6D (0-1)

0.71 (0.15)

0.66 (0.13)

0.65 (0.12)

0.01

0.002

 SF6D Δ

0.11 (0.14)

0.07 (0.12)

0.06 (0.13)

0.02

0.003

Mean (SD) unless otherwise indicated. MHAQ = Modified health assessment questionnaire

SF-6D = Short form -6 dimensions.


Disclosure:

K. M. Fagerli,

Abbott Immunology Pharmaceuticals,

8,

Pfizer Inc,

8,

Merck Pharmaceuticals,

8,

Roche Pharmaceuticals,

8;

E. Lie,
None;

D. van der Heijde,

Abbott Laboratories; Amgen; AstraZeneca; BMS; Centocor: Chugai; Eli-Lilly; GSK; Merck; Novartis; Pfizer; Roche; Sanofi-Aventis; Schering-Plough; UCB; Wyeth,

5,

Imaging Rheumatology,

4;

M. S. Heiberg,
None;

S. Lexberg,

Abbott Immunology Pharmaceuticals,

8,

Pfizer Inc,

8,

Roche Pharmaceuticals,

8,

Merck Pharmaceuticals,

8;

K. Mikkelsen,
None;

E. Rødevand,
None;

S. Kalstad,
None;

T. K. Kvien,

Abbott Immunology Pharmaceuticals,

8,

AstraZeneca,

8,

Merck Pharmaceuticals,

8,

NiCox, S.A.,

8,

Pfizer Inc,

8,

Roche Pharmaceuticals,

8,

UCB,

8,

BMS,

5,

Abbott Immunology Pharmaceuticals,

5,

Merck Pharmaceuticals,

5,

NiCox, S.A.,

5,

Pfizer Inc,

5,

Roche Pharmaceuticals,

5,

UCB,

5.

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