Z Xia1, J Lyu2, N Hou1, L Song1, X Li1, H Liu3. 1. Department of Rheumatology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong Province , China. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Dezhou People's Hospital, Dezhou, China. 3. Department of Rheumatology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong Province , China. huaxiangliu@hotmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a potentially destructive disease that may have a profound impact on patients' function and quality of life. RA therapy is still a challenge for rheumatologists; however, new antirheumatic drugs may be a treatment option for disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-experienced patients with active RA. OBJECTIVES: The present study is a prospective trial that aims to investigate the effects of therapy with iguratimod plus methotrexate (MTX) in comparison with iguratimod or MTX monotherapy in DMARD-experienced adult patients with active RA. METHODS: A total of 131 patients (24 men, 107 women, mean age 46.63 ± 10.61 years) with a history of being treated with traditional DMARDs were investigated. In all, 44 patients were treated with iguratimod (25 mg, twice daily, orally) plus MTX (a weekly dose of 10 mg, orally), 38 patients received iguratimod (25 mg, twice daily, orally), or 49 patients received MTX (weekly dose of 10 mg, orally) for 24 weeks. RESULTS: A therapeutic effect with iguratimod was observed between 4 and 10 weeks after treatment initiation and was effective even in patients who had a poor response to previous treatment with DMARDs. The combination of iguratimod with MTX was superior to iguratimod or MTX monotherapy. CONCLUSION: The data imply that iguratimod is a welcome addition to the small-molecule drug therapy for DMARD-experienced patients with active RA. Iguratimod (alone or in combination with MTX) is an emerging option for the treatment of DMARD-experienced adult patients with active RA who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of other DMARDs.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a potentially destructive disease that may have a profound impact on patients' function and quality of life. RA therapy is still a challenge for rheumatologists; however, new antirheumatic drugs may be a treatment option for disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-experienced patients with active RA. OBJECTIVES: The present study is a prospective trial that aims to investigate the effects of therapy with iguratimod plus methotrexate (MTX) in comparison with iguratimod or MTX monotherapy in DMARD-experienced adult patients with active RA. METHODS: A total of 131 patients (24 men, 107 women, mean age 46.63 ± 10.61 years) with a history of being treated with traditional DMARDs were investigated. In all, 44 patients were treated with iguratimod (25 mg, twice daily, orally) plus MTX (a weekly dose of 10 mg, orally), 38 patients received iguratimod (25 mg, twice daily, orally), or 49 patients received MTX (weekly dose of 10 mg, orally) for 24 weeks. RESULTS: A therapeutic effect with iguratimod was observed between 4 and 10 weeks after treatment initiation and was effective even in patients who had a poor response to previous treatment with DMARDs. The combination of iguratimod with MTX was superior to iguratimod or MTX monotherapy. CONCLUSION: The data imply that iguratimod is a welcome addition to the small-molecule drug therapy for DMARD-experienced patients with active RA. Iguratimod (alone or in combination with MTX) is an emerging option for the treatment of DMARD-experienced adult patients with active RA who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of other DMARDs.
Authors: Josef S Smolen; Robert Landewé; Ferdinand C Breedveld; Maxime Dougados; Paul Emery; Cecile Gaujoux-Viala; Simone Gorter; Rachel Knevel; Jackie Nam; Monika Schoels; Daniel Aletaha; Maya Buch; Laure Gossec; Tom Huizinga; Johannes W J W Bijlsma; Gerd Burmester; Bernard Combe; Maurizio Cutolo; Cem Gabay; Juan Gomez-Reino; Marios Kouloumas; Tore K Kvien; Emilio Martin-Mola; Iain McInnes; Karel Pavelka; Piet van Riel; Marieke Scholte; David L Scott; Tuulikki Sokka; Guido Valesini; Ronald van Vollenhoven; Kevin L Winthrop; John Wong; Angela Zink; Désirée van der Heijde Journal: Ann Rheum Dis Date: 2010-05-05 Impact factor: 19.103
Authors: David T Felson; Josef S Smolen; George Wells; Bin Zhang; Lilian H D van Tuyl; Julia Funovits; Daniel Aletaha; Cornelia F Allaart; Joan Bathon; Stefano Bombardieri; Peter Brooks; Andrew Brown; Marco Matucci-Cerinic; Hyon Choi; Bernard Combe; Maarten de Wit; Maxime Dougados; Paul Emery; Daniel Furst; Juan Gomez-Reino; Gillian Hawker; Edward Keystone; Dinesh Khanna; John Kirwan; Tore K Kvien; Robert Landewé; Joachim Listing; Kaleb Michaud; Emilio Martin-Mola; Pamela Montie; Theodore Pincus; Pamela Richards; Jeffrey N Siegel; Lee S Simon; Tuulikki Sokka; Vibeke Strand; Peter Tugwell; Alan Tyndall; Desirée van der Heijde; Suzan Verstappen; Barbara White; Frederick Wolfe; Angela Zink; Maarten Boers Journal: Arthritis Rheum Date: 2011-03