September 2023

Anti-GM-CSF Otilimab Versus Tofacitinib or Placebo in Patients With Active Rheumatoid Arthritis and an Inadequate Response to Conventional or Biologic DMARDs: Two Phase 3 Randomised Trials (contRAst 1 and contRAst 2)

Ann Rheum Dis 2023;0:1–11 doi 10.1136/ard-2023-224482

Fleischmann, et al investigated the safety and efficacy of otilimab versus tofacitinib and placebo in RA patients treated with MTX (contRAst 1) or csDMARDs (contRAst 2). They found that while otilimab achieved the primary endpoint of ACR20 versus placebo in Week 12, it did not demonstrate non-inferiority to tofacitinib.

Keywords:

Anti-gm-csf Otilimab versus Sarilumab or Placebo in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inadequate Response to Targeted Therapies: A Phase III Randomised Trial (contRAst 3)

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023;82(12):1527–1537 doi 10.1136/ard-2023-224449

The ContRAst 3 study investigated otilimab, in RA patients with inadequate responses to multiple treatments. Otilimab did not significantly improve ACR20 versus placebo at Weeks 12 or 24. In addition, there we no significant improvements in secondary endpoints, including disease activity, disability, and pain.

Keywords:

Bimekizumab Treatment in Biologic DMARD-Naïve Patients with Active Psoriatic Arthritis: 52-Week Efficacy and Safety Results from the Phase III, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Active Reference BE OPTIMAL Study

Ann Rheum Dis. 2023;82(11):1404–1414 doi: 10.1136/ard-2023-224431

Data from this phase 3 RCT demonstrated that the efficacy of bimekizumab observed at 16 weeks remained consistent through to 52 weeks in the treatment of bDMARD-naïve patients with PsA. Patients who started the trial on placebo and switched to bimekizumab at week 16 showed similar improvements to those patients who were randomised to receive bimekizumab at the start of the trail. No new safety signals were identified.

Keywords:

Treatment with Upadacitinib in Active Psoriatic Arthritis: Efficacy and Safety Data of the First 192 Patients from the UPJOINT Study, a Multicentre, Observational Study in Clinical Practice

Rheumatol Ther. 2023;10(6):1503–1508 doi: 10.1007/s40744-023-00589-3

In the UPJOINT open label study, the proportion of patients with PsA, and an inadequate response to csDMARDs or bDMARDs, who achieved minimal disease activity with upadacitinib was in line with the results of previous studies at 24 weeks. No new safety signals were identified.

Keywords:

Guselkumab Modulates Differentially Expressed Genes in Blood of Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: Results from Two Phase 3, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials

ACR Open Rheumatol. 2023 doi: 10.1002/acr2.11589

Whole blood transcriptome profiling reveals differential gene expression in patients with active PsA from the DISCOVER-1 and DISCOVER-2 clinical studies in comparison with healthy controls.

Keywords:

Bimekizumab efficacy and safety in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: Two-year interim results from the open-label extension of the randomized BE RADIANT Phase 3b trial

J Am Acad Dermatol 2023;89:486–95. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.04.063

High levels of clinical responses were seen throughout the first 48 weeks with bimekizumab treatment. These were maintained to Week 96 in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque PsO.

Keywords:

Safety and efficacy of mirikizumab versus secukinumab and placebo in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (OASIS-2): a phase 3, multicentre, randomised, double-blind study

Lancet Rheumatol 2023;5:e542–52. doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00120-0

Week 16 primary outcomes of improved PASI 90 response and sPGA score demonstrated Mirikizumab superiority to placebo and non-inferiority to secukinumab. This study presented results from the OASIS-2 trial on the safety and efficacy of mirikizumab compared with secukinumab and placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Keywords:

August 2023

Differential Properties of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Immune-mediated Inflammatory Diseases

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2023;63(2):298–308 doi 10.1093/rheumatology/kead448

JAKis differ in structure, which affects their inhibitory concentration for different JAKs.

This review by Taylor, et al. compares the pharmacological profiles of JAKis, including abrocitinib, baricitinib, filgotinib, peficitinib, tofacitinib, and upadacitinib.

Keywords:

Efficacy of Tofacitinib on Enthesitis in Patients with Active Psoriatic Arthritis: Analysis of Pooled Data from Two Phase 3 Studies

Arthritis Res Ther. 2023 22;25(1):153 doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-03108-5

Post-hoc analysis of two tofacitinib phase three studies concludes that tofacitinib treatment resulted in improvements in enthesitis in patients with PsA, regardless of baseline location or severity.

Keywords: