medwireNews: Open-label extension results from the RAPID-PsA trial suggest that the benefits of certolizumab pegol are maintained for up to 4 years among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Previous results from this trial demonstrated the efficacy of the tumor necrosis factor inhibitor during the 24-week placebo-controlled period and at the 96-week follow-up, say Désirée van der Heijde (Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands) and co-investigators. They explain that all patients were given active treatment from week 24.
A total of 67% of the 273 original participants completed 216 weeks of treatment, and certolizumab pegol “demonstrated sustained efficacy in improving joint disease, skin and nail psoriasis, enthesitis and dactylitis,” in the extension period, report the researchers in RMD Open.
For example, the proportion of certolizumab-treated patients who achieved at least a 20% improvement in ACR criteria was 65.9% at week 24, 77.0% at week 48, and 80.5% at week 216. A corresponding 29.7%, 37.7%, and 31.9% met the Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis low disease activity criteria at the three timepoints.
van der Heijde and team note that sustained benefits of treatment were observed “in patients both with and without prior antitumour necrosis factor exposure,” and no new or unexpected safety findings were identified in the extension study.
These results “support CZP treatment for the long-term therapeutic management of PsA,” conclude the researchers.
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