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ObjectiveTo evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of sarilumab with/without conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs in RA.MethodsThe analyses evaluated two open-label extensions (OLEs): EXTEND and MONARCH OLE, which included patients from six randomized trials. Patients received sarilumab 200 mg once every 2 weeks (q2w) for at least 264 weeks up to 516 weeks (EXTEND: Sarilumab Monotherapy and Sarilumab + csDMARD groups) or for 276 weeks (MONARCH OLE: Continuation and Switch groups). Primary endpoints included safety, immunogenicity and changes in laboratory parameters. Secondary endpoints included clinical signs and symptoms along with health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) questionnaires.ResultsThe Sarilumab Monotherapy (n = 111), Continuation (n = 165) and Switch (n = 155) groups received sarilumab monotherapy, while the Sarilumab + csDMARD group (n = 1910) received sarilumab in combination with csDMARDs. Incidence of one or more treatment-emergent adverse events was 126 (Sarilumab Monotherapy group), 169 (Sarilumab + csDMARD group), 159 (Continuation group) and 159 (Switch group) events/100 patient-years. Neutropenia was the most common adverse event. Neutropenia was not associated with an increased incidence of infections. Most neutropenia cases normalized on-treatment. Adverse events of special interests, such as malignancies, major adverse cardiovascular events, venous thromboembolism and gastrointestinal perforations, were rare. Immunogenicity was low and not associated with hypersensitivity reactions or discontinuations due to lack or loss of efficacy. Improvements in clinical signs and symptoms and HRQOL, observed during the initial blinded trials, were maintained throughout the OLE assessment period.ConclusionsLong-term sarilumab treatment with/without csDMARDs in patients with RA revealed no new safety findings. Efficacy and HRQOL were maintained or further increased over the open-label assessment period.Trial registrationEXTEND, ClinicalTrials.gov, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01146652, NCT01146652; MONARCH OLE, ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02332590, NCT02332590

Objectives We evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral treprostinil in preventing progression of SSc-associated calcinosis. Methods This prospective open-label study enrolled 12 SSc patients meeting 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria with confirmed clinical and radiographic evidence of one or more calcinosis deposit in the hands. Patients received oral treprostinil for 1 year. Primary endpoints were safety/tolerability and percentage of patients without radiographic progression of calcinosis at 1 year ( Results Twelve female patients were enrolled, half with diffuse cutaneous disease; median age was 55 years (range 35–68 years). Five patients completed the study. Seven patients withdrew due to intolerable adverse effects (n = 3), intercurrent unrelated illness (n = 2, cirrhosis, cancer), progressive SSc (n = 1) and personal reasons (n = 1). Most patients developed headaches and gastrointestinal adverse effects. Four of 11 (36%) patients with 1-year follow-up hand radiographs experienced progression of calcinosis. Of five who completed treatment, calcinosis was stable in four (80%) with progression in one. Based on SF-36 Physical and Mental Component and Domain scores, transition question and SF-6D utility score, all patients who finished the trial reported overall improvement or no change compared with baseline. Conclusion Oral treprostinil was poorly tolerated in SSc patients with calcinosis. Of five patients who completed treatment, most (80%) had documented stability of calcinosis on hand radiographs at 1 year. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02663895.

Objective To develop and evaluate an adjusted score for the multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) test to account for the effects of age, sex and adiposity in patients with RA. Methods Two models were developed to adjust MBDA score for age, sex and adiposity, using either serum leptin concentration or BMI as proxies for adiposity. Two cohorts were studied. A cohort of 325 781 RA patients who had undergone commercial MBDA testing and had data for age, sex and serum leptin concentration was used for both models. A cohort of 1411 patients from five studies/registries with BMI data was used only for the BMI-adjusted MBDA score. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses evaluated the adjusted MBDA scores and conventional clinical measures as predictors of radiographic progression, assessed in terms of modified total Sharp score (ΔmTSS). Results Two models were developed, based on findings that MBDA score was higher in females than males and increased with age, leptin concentration and BMI. In pairwise regression analyses, the leptin-adjusted (P = 0.00066) and BMI-adjusted (P = 0.0027) MBDA scores were significant independent predictors of ΔmTSS after adjusting for DAS28-CRP, whereas DAS28-CRP was not, after adjusting for leptin-adjusted (P = 0.74) or BMI-adjusted (P = 0.87) MBDA score. Moreover, the leptin-adjusted MBDA score was a significant predictor of ΔmTSS after adjusting for the BMI-adjusted MBDA score (P = 0.025) or the original MBDA score (0.027), whereas the opposite was not true. Conclusion Leptin-adjusted MBDA score significantly adds information to DAS28-CRP and the original MBDA score in predicting radiographic progression. It may offer improved clinical utility for personalized management of RA.

Background IL-6, a key cytokine in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis, is elevated in patient serum and synovial fluid. However, the impact of baseline IL-6 levels on patient-reported RA symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following IL-6 blockade has not been explored. Sarilumab targets IL-6 receptor alpha, and sarilumab+methotrexate (MTX) significantly improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes vs MTX alone among MTX inadequate responders (IR) in MOBILITY/NCT01061736. This post-hoc analysis evaluated whether baseline IL-6 levels predict greater improvements in symptoms and HRQoL with sarilumab+MTX vs MTX. Methods 1,193 patients with moderate-to-severely active RA received MTX or MTX plus subcutaneous sarilumab at 200 mg (recommended dose) or 150 mg (recommended for management of laboratory abnormalities) every 2 weeks (q2w) and were grouped into tertiles according to baseline IL-6 levels. Patient-reported RA symptoms and HRQoL were measured at baseline and post-treatment (Weeks [W] 24 and 52). Results Baseline IL-6 tertiles among 1193 patients were 1.6-9.6 (low), 9.8-30.7 (medium), and 31.2-648.7 pg/mL (high). At baseline, patients with high IL-6 had greater disease activity, more radiographic structural damage, elevated CRP levels, and worse HRQoL (pain visual analog scale [VAS], SF36-physical component scores [PCS], and sleep VAS) vs those with low IL-6 (nominal p < 0.05) and generally reported greater improvements in symptoms and HRQoL with sarilumab+MTX vs placebo+MTX. Significant differences (nominal p < 0.005) between high and low tertiles were evident in improvement of pain VAS (W52) and SF-36 PCS (W24/W52) with sarilumab 200 mg q2w vs placebo, SF-36 mental component scores (both doses; W52) and FACIT-fatigue scores (both doses; W24/W52) vs placebo. Treatment-emergent adverse events were similar across IL-6 tertiles. Conclusion Among MTX-IR RA patients, high baseline IL-6 may predict better improvements in symptoms and HRQoL with sarilumab vs placebo, which was consistent with previous analyses across clinical/radiographic endpoints in the same study population. Disclosures V. Strand: Consultancies; AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Biogen, BMS, Celltrion, CORRONA, Crescendo, Genentech/Roche, GSK, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sandoz, Sanofi and U. J. Msihid: Corporate appointments; Employee of Sanofi. Shareholder/stock ownership; Sanofi. T. Kimura: Corporate appointments; Employee of Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. Shareholder/stock ownership; Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. A. Boyapati: Corporate appointments; Employee of Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. Shareholder/stock ownership; Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. G. St John: Corporate appointments; Employee of Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. Shareholder/stock ownership; Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. W. Wei: Corporate appointments; Employee of Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc. Shareholder/stock ownership; Regeneron Pharmacueticals Inc.

Background Long-term prevention of structural joint damage is a key treatment goal in the management of RA. Upadacitinib (UPA), a JAK1-selective inhibitor, inhibited the progression of structural joint damage at 6 months as monotherapy in methotrexate (MTX)-naïve RA patients and in combination with MTX in patients with inadequate response (IR) to MTX. Objectives: To evaluate the progression of structural joint damage (radiographic) through Week 48 in patients with moderately to severely active RA treated with UPA monotherapy or in combination with MTX. Methods Radiographic progression was assessed in 2 phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). MTX-naïve patients were randomized to UPA 15 or 30mg QD or MTX monotherapy [SELECT-EARLY, N = 945], while MTX-IR patients were randomized to UPA 15mg QD or adalimumab (ADA) 40 mg eow or placebo (PBO), with continuous background MTX [SELECT-COMPARE, N = 1629]. Both RCTs specifically enrolled patients at high risk for progression of joint damage (high disease activity including elevated hsCRP, presence of baseline erosions and ACPA and/or RF positivity). The mean changes (D) from baseline (BL) in modified Total Sharp Score (mTSS), joint space narrowing (JSN), and erosion scores (ES) as well as the proportion of patients with no radiographic progression (ΔmTSS ≤0) at Weeks 24/26 and 48 were determined in both RCTs. Data were analyzed by linear extrapolation (LE) for missing data imputation and treatment switching, and as observed (AO). Results BL demographics have been reported previously. At Weeks 24/26, UPA as monotherapy and in combination with background MTX significantly inhibited radiographic progression measured by mean DmTSS and the proportion of patients with no radiographic progression vs MTX and PBO, respectively. The significant inhibition of radiographic progression with UPA was maintained through Week 48 vs MTX (LE and AO) in EARLY and vs PBO (LE) in COMPARE. Following the switch of all PBO patients to UPA in COMPARE by Week 26, no further change in mean mTSS was observed through Week 48. The inhibition of radiographic progression vs comparators was not only observed for the overall mTSS scores but also its components - the JSN and ES in both RCTs (LE and AO). Conclusion UPA both as monotherapy, and in combination with background MTX, was effective in inhibiting the progression of structural joint damage through Week 48 in MTX-naïve, and MTX-IR patients, respectively. Disclosures C. Peterfy: Consultancies; AbbVie, Acerta, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Centrexion, Daiichi Sankyu, Five Prime Therapeutics, Genentech, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Lilly USA, MedImmune, Merck, Novartis, Plexxikon, Pfizer, Sanofi, Salix-Santarus, Samsung. M.C. Genovese: Consultancies; Consultant for and has received grants from AbbVie Inc, Lilly, Pfizer, Galapagos, and Gilead. I. Song: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. A. Friedman: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. S. Hall: Consultancies; Received research grants and consultancy fees from AbbVie Inc, BMS, Lilly, Janssen, Pfizer, UCB, and Novartis. E. Mysler: Grants/research support; Received research grants and speaker’s bureau fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Novartis, Janssen, and Pfizer. P. Durez: Member of speakers’ bureau; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Samsung, Pfizer, UCB, Mundipharma, Hospira, and Eli Lilly. X. Baraliakos: Grants/research support; AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Centocor, Chugai, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer Inc, Roche and UCB. J. Enejosa: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. T. Shaw: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. Y. Li: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. S. Chen: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. V. Strand: Consultancies; Consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, BMS, Celltrion, Celgene, Genentech, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Samsung, Sanofi, and UCB.

Objective. The multibiomarker disease activity (MBDA) blood test has been clinically validated as a measure of disease activity in patients with RA. We aimed to estimate the effect of the MBDA test on physical function for patients with RA (based on HAQ), quality-adjusted life years and costs over 10 years. Methods. A decision analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of using the MBDA test on RA-related outcomes and costs to private payers and employers. Results of a clinical management study reporting changes to anti-rheumatic drug recommendations after use of the MBDA test informed clinical utility. The effect of treatment changes on HAQ was derived from 5 tight-control and 13 treatment-switch trials. Baseline HAQ scores and the HAQ score relationship with medical costs and quality of life were derived from published National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases data. Results. Use of the MBDA test is projected to improve HAQ scores by 0.09 units in year 1, declining to 0.02 units after 10 years. Over the 10 year time horizon, quality-adjusted life years increased by 0.08 years and costs decreased by US$457 (cost savings in disability-related medical costs, US$659; in productivity costs, US$2137). The most influential variable in the analysis was the effect of the MBDA test on clinician treatment recommendations and subsequent HAQ changes. Conclusion. The MBDA test aids in the assessment of disease activity in patients with RA by changing treatment decisions, improving the functional status of patients and cost savings. Further validation is ongoing and future longitudinal studies are warranted.