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Abatacept reduced risk for relapse in giant cell arteritis
The addition of abatacept to a prednisone treatment regimen reduced the risk for relapse in patients with giant cell arteritis, according to recently published data.
“The results from this study found that treatment of giant cell arteritis with abatacept combined with prednisone had a significantly higher rate of relapse-free survival compared to those who were randomized to placebo, providing supportive evidence of the efficacy of abatacept,” Carol A. Langford, MD, in the Center for Vasculitis Care and Research at Cleveland Clinic, told Healio Rheumatology. “In addition, abatacept combined with high-dose prednisone was well tolerated in this study.”
Langford and colleagues assessed 49 patients with giant cell arteritis who were treated with 10 mg/kg of intravenous abatacept in combination with prednisone on days 1, 15, 29 and week 8. After 12 weeks, 41 patients in remission underwent double-blind randomization to continue abatacept or switch to placebo. The primary endpoint was relapse-free survival.
Relapse-free survival at 12 months was 48% for the abatacept group and 31% for placebo. In addition, the abatacept group had a 9.9-month duration of remission, compared with 3.9 months for placebo.
There was no difference in adverse events in frequency and severity between groups. – by Will Offit
Disclosure: Langford reports these projects were funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract HHSN2682007000036C.
Editor’s Note: The original article posted with an incorrect headline and lede. On Feb. 25, we corrected the article to clarify that the researchers reported the treatment of giant cell arteritis with abatacept combined with prednisone had a significantly higher rate of relapse-free survival compared to patients who were randomized to placebo. The Editors regret this error.