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Age, comorbidities increase infection risk in patients with RA treated with Cimzia
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were older than 65 years of age or had comorbidities or disease flare and were treated with Cimzia were more likely to experience an infection, according to research presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.
Researchers studied 1,506 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with Cimzia (certolizumab pegol, UCB) between the first dose and up to 84 days following the last dose taken.
Jeffrey R. Curtis
Patients were evaluated and administered the Health Assessment Questionnaire – Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and disease activity in 28 joints (DAS28) and measurements of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were taken. Covariate data were collected, including age; BMI; methotrexate dose; comorbidities such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease; and steroid dose, if applicable.
Of the 1,506 patients treated with certolizumab pegol, 201 experienced one or more serious infection event, and 29 patients experienced more than one serious infection. Disease flare and increases in DAS28 (CRP), DAS28 (ESR) or HAQ-DI scores were associated with an increased risk for a serious infection event, and Cox proportional hazards modelling showed that age older than 65 years, a treated comorbidity, disease flare and HAQ-DI scores were risk factors for developing an infection. Age older than 65 years increased the risk for infection by approximately 50%, and a treated comorbidity increased the infection risk by approximately 80%. None of the other covariates the researchers analyzed had an effect on the risk for developing an infection. – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Curtis JR, et al. Paper #SAT0149. Presented at: European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology; June 10-13, 2015; Rome.
Disclosures: Curtis reports receiving grant/research support from AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, CORRONA, Crescendo, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche and UCB Pharma and is a consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, CORRONA, Crescendo, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, Roche and UCB Pharma. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.