J Korean Med Sci.  2013 Dec;28(12):1716-1722. 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.12.1716.

A Clinical Trial and Extension Study of Infliximab in Korean Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis despite Methotrexate Treatment

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. ysong@snu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
  • 3Department of Internal Medicine, The Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 6Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.

Abstract

Currently, infliximab is given for disease control for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients despite methotrexate treatment. However, the efficacy and safety of infliximab in Korean patients has not been assessed appropriately. Therefore, we performed placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study and extension study. One-hundred forty-three patients with active RA were randomized to receive placebo or infliximab 3 mg/kg intravenously at week 0, 2, 6, 14, and 22 with methotrexate maintenance. Primary endpoint was American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (ACR20) at 30 week. After the clinical trial, patients on placebo (Group 1) and patients on infliximab who showed ACR20 response (Group 2) were treated with infliximab through another 84 week for evaluation of safety. During clinical trial, patients in infliximab group showed higher ACR20 at week 30 than patients in placebo group (50.1% vs 30.6%, P=0.014). A total of 92 patients participated in the extension study. The maintenance rate of infliximab was 62.0% at 84 weeks of extension study. The overall rate of adverse events was not different between Group 1 and Group 2. In Korean patients with active RA despite methotrexate treatment, infliximab in combination with methotrexate is effective and the long-term treatment with infliximab is well tolerated. (ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT00202852, NCT00732875)

Keyword

Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Infliximab; Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial; Extension Study; Efficacy; Adverse Event

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Antibodies, Monoclonal/*therapeutic use
Antirheumatic Agents/*therapeutic use
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*drug therapy
Double-Blind Method
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Humans
Male
Methotrexate/*therapeutic use
Middle Aged
Placebo Effect
Republic of Korea
Severity of Illness Index
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Antirheumatic Agents
Methotrexate

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Patients deposition.


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