Improvements in Clinical Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients on Etanercept Therapy
Author Information
Author(s): Kavanaugh A, Klareskog L, van der Heijde D, Li J, Freundlich B, Hooper M
Primary Institution: Center for Innovative Therapy, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, Immunology, UCSD
Hypothesis
Can rheumatoid arthritis patients who do not respond to etanercept therapy at 12 weeks show improvement by 24 weeks?
Conclusion
Many patients who initially do not respond to etanercept therapy at 12 weeks may still achieve a good clinical response by 24 weeks.
Supporting Evidence
- Over 80% of week 24 responders in the etanercept plus methotrexate arm sustained their response to 52 weeks.
- 37.5% of week 12 ACR20 non-responders became ACR20 responders at week 24.
- Mean DAS28 scores showed a significant decrease from baseline to week 24.
Takeaway
Some people with arthritis might not feel better after 12 weeks of treatment, but they could start to feel better by 24 weeks, so it's important not to stop the medicine too soon.
Methodology
Clinical response was assessed at 24 weeks in 12-week non-responders using ACR response criteria.
Potential Biases
The analysis is based on data from a randomized clinical trial, which may not represent broader patient populations.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and findings may not reflect real-world patients due to specific inclusion criteria.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 52.5 years, with 76% being rheumatoid factor positive and approximately three-quarters were women.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI not specified
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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