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Golimumab safely, effectively treated psoriatic arthritis for up to 5 years
Long-term treatment with golimumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis displayed safe and effective results through 5 years, according to recent study data.
Arthur Kavanaugh, MD, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues, studied 405 anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha-naive patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA; defined as at least three swollen and tender joints and plaque psoriasis). They had been treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The patients were randomly assigned subcutaneous placebo (n=113) or subcutaneous golimumab 50 mg (n=146) or 100 mg (n=146) every 4 weeks through week 20. All patients were switched to golimumab 50 mg or 100 mg every 4 weeks at week 24 through the study’s end. Approximately half the patients took concomitant methotrexate.
Through 5 years, at least 20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) response and C-reactive-protein-based 28-joint-count Disease Activity Score (DAS28-CRP) response, at least 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75) scores, and PSA-modified Sharp-van der Heijde scores (SHSs) measured efficacy.
Thirty-one percent of patients discontinued treatment through week 256. Clinical improvement was effectively maintained with golimumab use (ACR20: 62.8%-69.9%, DAS28-CRP: 75.2%-84.9% for randomly assigned patients; PAS175: 60.8%-72.2% for patients with at least 3% body surface area involvement). Golimumab therapy also inhibited radiographic progression among patients with such data (PsA-modified SHS mean change: 0.1-0.3).
Methotrexate use did not affect ACR20/PASI75, but appeared to reduce radiographic progression.
Ten percent of patients not treated with methotrexate and 1.8% of patients treated with methotrexate experienced antibodies to golimumab.
“The safety and efficacy of golimumab 50 mg and 100 mg administered subcutaneously every 4 weeks to patients with active PsA were demonstrated through 5 years, as evidenced by sustained clinical and radiographic efficacy and safety profile consistent with other anti-TNF agents used for PsA,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.