Antibody Therapy Linked to Improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

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Antibody Therapy Linked to Improvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 19 - Treatment with adalimumab, an anti-tumor

necrosis factor antibody, is a safe and effective therapy for the signs and

symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a report published in

the November issue of The Journal of Rheumatology.

Dr. Leo B. A. van de Putte, from University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the

Netherlands, and colleagues assessed the effects of single-dose adalimumab

therapy in 120 patients with long-standing, active RA. The patients were

divided into 5 different adalimumab dose cohorts (0.5 to 10 mg/kg) and

randomized to receive adalimumab or placebo.

Treatment with adalimumab produced beneficial clinical effects as early as

24 hours after administration, the authors note. The drug tended to reach

its peak efficacy at 1 to 2 weeks and this efficacy was often sustained for

at least 4 weeks.

The percentage of patients who experienced a clinical response tended to

increase as the adalimumab dose increased, ranging from 41% in the 0.5 mg/kg

group to 100% in the 10 mg/kg group. In contrast, the incidence of treatment

emergent adverse events did not increase as the dose increased and was

comparable to the rates seen with placebo.

" The results provide the first clinical evidence that the fully human

antibody adalimumab can be used to treat RA safely and effectively, " the

investigators state. " Patients from this study continue to be treated in

longterm studies that will provide data on chronic safety and efficacy. "

J Rheumatol 2002;29:2288-2298.