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Lower rate of uveitis seen among patients with axSpA treated with certolizumab pegol
Patients with axial spondyloarthritis had a lower rate of uveitis following treatment with certolizumab pegol compared to patients who received placebo, according to recently published research.
Researchers studied 38 of 218 patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and a history of uveitis who were randomly assigned to treatment with certolizumab pegol (Cimzia, UCB) and 31 of 107 patients with axSpA and a history of uveitis who received placebo in the double-blind, 24-week phase of the RAPID-axSpA study. A dose-blind period followed through 48 weeks, which was followed by an open-label portion of the trial to 204 weeks. During the 24-week phase, uveitis flares were recorded as “uveitis,” “iritis” or “iridocyclitis” on extra-articular manifestation forms or adverse event reports.
At week 24, the rate of uveitis was lower in the treatment group compared with the placebo group (with three events in three patients or 3 per 100 patient-years vs. four events in four patients or 10.3 events per 100 patient-years). Analysis of patients with a prior history of uveitis showed there were 17.1 flares per 100 patient-years in the treatment group compared with 38.5 events per 100 patient-years in the placebo group after 24 weeks. At week 48 during the dose-blind phase, there were 4.9 uveitis flare events per 100 patient-years in the treatment group and this rate remained through week 96.
Exclusion of data from patients without prior history of uveitis showed a rate of 20.8 events per 100 patient-years through 48 weeks and 16.4 events per 100 patient-years through 96 weeks. Rates were similar between patients classified with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axSpA at baseline. – by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosures: Rudwaleit is a consultant for AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MSD, Pfizer, Roche and UCB Pharma. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.