In a nutshell
This study compared sarilumab and adalimumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They found that sarilumab–treated patients reported greater improvements in overall health and disability, quality of life and pain scores.
Some background
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves medications to reduce inflammation. There are many different types available to patients. One class (type) of medications target a chemical called interleukin-6 (IL-6). An overproduction of IL-6 causes excessive inflammation. Sarilumab is an experimental drug that blocks the IL-6 receptor.
Adalimumab is a licensed medication to treat RA. It blocks the activity of an inflammatory protein called tumor necrosis (TNF). A recent study showed sarilumab was more effective in reducing disease activity compared to adalimumab. It is unclear if sarilumab treatment is superior to adalimumab in terms of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). PROs are an important consideration as they measure overall health and disability, pain and fatigue.
Methods & findings
This study compared PRO’s in patients with RA taking either sarilumab or adalimumab.
This study included 369 patients with RA. Patients received either sarilumab (200 mg) or adalimumab (40 mg) every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. Patients were asked to report their symptoms (PROs) using a number of scores. These include global assessment of disease activity (PtGA), pain and morning stiffness visual scales (VASs), Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F).
Patients taking sarilumab had greater improvements in health and disability (HAQ-DI), disease severity (PtGA) and pain and fatigue (VAS) scores compared to adalimumab. Scores measuring the impact of RA, morning stiffness and work productivity were also greater in patients taking sarilumab. FACIT-F scores were not signifcantly different between the groups.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that sarilumab–treated patients reported greater improvements in overall health and disability, quality of life and pain scores.
The fine print
There was a high proportion of white females included in this study so the results may not extend to other ethnicities.
What’s next?
If you have any concerns regarding rheumatoid arthritis treatment, please consult with your physician.
Published By :
Arthritis Research & Therapy
Date :
Jun 19, 2018
