ACR foundation commits $6 million to 2 RA trials

The American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation recently announced it has committed up to $6 million over 3 years to two clinical trials focusing on rheumatoid arthritis, according to a news release.

One trial seeks to determine if patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are treating with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNFs) agents (etanercept, adalimumab [ADA] and infliximab) in addition to standard therapy can maintain remission after they stop therapy. The 48-week trial will examine patients with RA in clinical remission on standard therapy and an anti-TNF agent. The patients will continue to receive either their current therapy, with anti-TNF, or a placebo without anti-TNF agent. Clinical examinations, joint X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging of the hands, joint ultrasounds and blood immune system studies will be conducted to determine if any factor can predict whether participants will flare or remain in remission.

“Many people with RA who take anti-TNF agents combined with methotrexate … often achieve clinical remission,” researcher Arthur Weinstein, MD, professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center and chief of rheumatology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said in the release. “However, these medications are expensive, can lead to higher frequency of infections, and may have other side effects. The trial will provide … knowledge about successfully stopping anti-TNF agents and which RA patients may be effectively withdrawn.”

The second study will examine if ADA can reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in patients with RA. Sixty patients with RA and low disease activity who take standard nonbiologic therapy will be studied for 6 months, receiving either adalimumab or placebo. Later, the patients who were assigned placebo will receive ADA, and those assigned ADA will switch to placebo, with repeat assessment of CVD risk.

“Because we have seen elevated levels of inflammation in people with RA who have had mild inflammation in their joints, we expect there will be a significant improvement in cardiovascular disease risk when these patients are treated with adalimumab,” researcher Peter Ganz, MD, division chief of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said in the release.