Low Etanercept Doses May Be Effective in Maintaining Remission in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients – Physician’s Weekly

For a study, researchers conducted a longitudinal open-label trial to analyze if extending the intervals between etanercept (ETN) delivery may be beneficial in sustaining remission with a steady dosage in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patient group that has achieved persistent remission with ETN 25 mg biweekly.

Fifty-four patients with PsA were recruited from the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Seneses Rheumatology Unit. Patients in clinical remission with biweekly ETN 25 mg at weeks 12 and 16 were moved to a weekly regimen. If clinical remission was maintained at weeks 24 and 28, patients were transferred to an every-other-week regimen, with this administration schedule continuing for the rest of the research if clinical remission was maintained at weeks 36 and 40. If, on the other hand, disease activity increased in one of the checks, the treatment plan was reverted to the prior one.The outcome of the study showed that a consistent percentage (72%) of patients with PsA who achieved sustained remission with ETN 25 mg biweekly maintained remission after a year of starting therapy, despite a progressive dose reduction by increasing the dosing interval, 21% with a weekly regimen and 51% with an every-other-week regimen.

Findings indicated that peripheral polyarthritis pattern and aggravation of cutaneous symptoms were the key factors preventing ETN dosage interval increase in patients with PsA in prolonged clinical remission at regular doses.

Reference:journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/2018/04000/Low_Doses_of_Etanercept_Can_Be_Effective_to.4.aspx

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Low Etanercept Doses May Be Effective in Maintaining Remission in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients - Physician's Weekly