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Speaker: Targeted Medications Have Dramatically Improved Quality of Life of Patients With RA
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NEW YORK — Targeted medications have dramatically improved the quality of life and physical function of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a presentation by Stanley Cohen, MD, at the Interdisciplinary Autoimmune Summit.
“We have got a lot more things at our disposal that we can do to improve the quality of life of our patients, as well as improve their physical function,” Cohen said.
In his talk, Cohen reviewed the current treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and the emergence of targeted medications, which include Janus kinase inhibitors and interleukin-6 inhibitors. He reviewed data on tofacitinib, baricitinib, filgotinib, ABT-494, sarilumab and sirukumab, which showed similar safety and efficacy to biologics.
With all the available treatments, rheumatologists can target low disease activity state or remission as an outcome, Cohen said. Despite this, he noted fewer than 50% of patients achieve ACR50 and between 10% and 20% achieve remission, which is rarely long-term. In addition, Cohen mentioned biosimilars, which he believes can hopefully lower the cost of therapy and increase access. However, new therapies will be needed to achieve sustained remission, he said.
“The game is not over,” Cohen said. “We need new therapies.” – by Will Offit
Reference:
Cohen S, et al. Emerging therapies in rheumatoid arthritis. Presented at: Interdisciplinary Autoimmune Summit; March 24-26, 2017; New York.
Disclosure: Cohen reports he received research and grant funding from The Metroplex Clinical Research Center, which receives clinical trial grants from AbbVie, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen Inc., Ardea Biosciences Inc., Array Biopharma Inc., Astellas Pharma Global Development Inc., AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, CaloSyn Pharma, Inc., CombinatoRx Inc., Conversant Biologics Inc., Crescendo Bioscience Inc., EISAI Inc., Elan Pharmaceutical Research Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company, Flexion, Genentech Inc. GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman-La Roche Inc., Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc., MedImmune LLC, Merck & Co. Inc., NIH, NicOx Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, NPS Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc., Plexxikon Inc., POZEN Inc., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, UCB Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, XDx Inc.; and he is a consultant for Amgen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., Crescendo bioscience, Flexxion, Genentech Inc., Pfizer Inc., Roche, Sandoz and Sanofi-Aventis.