Tag Archives: RA biologics

eating fish rheumatoid arthritis

RA Research Briefs: Tofacitinib, Fish, Remission

Keep up-to-date on the latest rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research with our brief research summaries.

Tofacitinib Plus Methotrexate May Work As Well As Biologic

If methotrexate (MTX) alone fails to control RA, adding the oral Janus kinase (JAX) inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) may be as effective as the standard practice of adding a biologic. The JAX inhibitor belongs to the third category of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) called targeted DMARDs. In a study of 1,146 patients with rheumatoid arthritis that had not adequately responded to MTX alone, approximately a third were switched to tofacitinib, while the others received either tofacitinib or the biologic adalimumab (Humira) along with methotrexate. At 6 months, only 38% of the patients receiving tofacitinib mono­therapy achieved ACR50 – 50 percent improvement – while 46% of patients that received tofacitinib and MTX achieved that response. Forty-four percent of patients who combined adalimubab with MTX achieved the similar improved response of the tofacitnib and MTX group.

SOURCE: The Lancet, July 2017  Continue reading RA Research Briefs: Tofacitinib, Fish, Remission

Anti TNF RA Flare

Study: Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare Triples in People Who Stop Anti-TNFs

Biologic drugs make it possible for many people with inflammatory types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to achieve low disease activity or remission. But because of the drugs’ cost and the potential for serious side effects, many patients don’t want to stay on them indefinitely, so researchers have been looking at whether it’s possible to taper or stop them. A new study, published recently in Arthritis & Rheumatology, is adding to the growing body of research on the topic.
Continue reading Study: Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare Triples in People Who Stop Anti-TNFs