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Background: After acute coronary syndrome (ACS), patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI) may be at particularly high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and death. We studied the effects of the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab in patients with recent ACS according to previous history of MI..Methods: The ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial compared alirocumab with placebo, beginning 1 to 12 months after ACS with median 2.8-year follow-up. The primary MACE outcome comprised death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal MI, fatal or nonfatal ischemic stroke, and hospitalization for unstable angina. Of 18,924 patients, 3633 (19.2%) had previous MI. Results: Patients with previous MI were older, more likely male, with more cardiovascular risk factors and previous events. With placebo, 4-year risks of MACE and death were higher among those with vs without previous MI (20.5% vs 8.9%, P < 0.001; 7.4% vs 3.4%, P < 0.001, respectively). Alirocumab reduced the risk of events regardless of the presence or absence of a history of MI (MACE, adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.05 vs 0.82, 0.73-0.92; P-interaction = 0.34; death, aHR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.64-1.08 vs 0.87, 0.72-1.05; P-interaction = 0.81). Estimated absolute risk reductions with alirocumab were numerically greater with vs without previous MI (MACE, 1.91% vs 1.42%; death, 1.35% vs 0.41%). Conclusions: A previous history of MI places patients with recent ACS at high risk for recurrent MACE and death. Alirocumab reduced the relative risks of these events consistently in patients with or without previous MI but with numerically greater absolute benefit in the former subgroup. (ODYSSEY OUTCOMES: NCT01663402)

Background: AVERT-2 (a phase IIIb, two-stage study) evaluated abatacept + methotrexate versus methotrexate alone, in methotrexate-naive, anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive patients with early (

Background Drug-free remission is a desirable goal in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for both patients and clinicians. The aim of this post hoc analysis was to investigate whether clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) variables in patients with early RA who achieved remission with methotrexate and/or abatacept at 12 months could predict disease flare following treatment withdrawal. Methods In the AVERT study of abatacept in early RA, patients with low disease activity at month 12 entered a 12-month period with all treatment discontinued (withdrawal, WD). This post hoc analysis assessed predictors of disease flare at WD+6months (mo) and WD+12mo of patients with Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28)-defined remission (DAS28[C-reactive protein (CRP)] Results Remission was achieved by 172 patients; 100 (58%) and 113 (66%) patients had experienced a flare at WD+6mo and WD+12mo, respectively. In univariate analyses, higher HAQ-DI and MRI synovitis, erosion, bone edema, and combined inflammation scores at WD were identified as potential predictors of flare (P ≤ 0.01). In multivariable analysis, high scores at WD for HAQ-DI and MRI erosion were confirmed as independent predictors of flare at WD+6mo and WD+12mo (P < 0.01). Conclusion In patients with early RA achieving clinical remission, patient function (HAQ-DI), and MRI measures of bone damage (erosion) predicted disease flare 6 and 12 months after treatment withdrawal. These variables may help identify patients with early RA in clinical remission as candidates for successful treatment withdrawal. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01142726 (date of registration: June 11, 2010)

Background: ACTION (NCT02109666) was a 2-year, international, observational study of patients with moderate-to-severe RA who initiated IV abatacept in routine clinical practice. Previous findings showed discontinuation in biologic-naïve patients was higher in Germany versus other countries [ref:1].[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 46. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), 32. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh), Wissenschaftliche Herbsttagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR)

Background: Methotrexate (MTX) remains the anchor drug in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, but is poorly tolerated or contraindicated in some patients. There is a wealth of data supporting the use of abatacept in combination with MTX, but data on alternative conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD) combinations with abatacept are scarce. Methods: In this post-hoc exploratory analysis, efficacy and safety data were extracted from abatacept RA studies in which combination with csDMARDs other than MTX was permitted: three interventional trials (ATTAIN, ASSURE, and ARRIVE) and one real-world study (ACTION). Patients with moderate-to-severe RA received abatacept in combination with MTX, hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, azathioprine, or leflunomide for 6 months to 2 years according to the study design. Change from baseline in physical function (Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI); all studies) and 28-joint Disease Activity Score (C-reactive protein) (DAS28 (CRP); ATTAIN, ARRIVE, and ACTION), American College of Rheumatology response rates (ATTAIN), and safety were assessed for individual and pooled csDMARD combinations for each trial. A meta-analysis was also performed on pooled data for HAQ-DI and DAS28 (CRP) across interventional trials. Results: Across all four studies, 731 patients received abatacept plus one non-MTX csDMARD (hydroxychloroquine n = 152; sulfasalazine n = 123; azathioprine n = 59; and leflunomide n = 397) and 2382 patients received abatacept plus MTX. Mean changes from baseline in HAQ-DI scores for abatacept plus MTX (all csDMARDs pooled) vs abatacept plus a non-MTX csDMARD were -0.54 vs -0.44 (ATTAIN), -0.43 vs -0.43 (ASSURE), and -0.39 vs -0.36 (ARRIVE). Mean changes from baseline in DAS28 (CRP) and ACR response rates were also similar with abatacept plus MTX or non-MTX csDMARDs. Data for individual non-MTX csDMARDs (pooled across studies) and real-world data were consistent with these findings. Rates of treatment-related adverse events and serious adverse events, respectively, for abatacept plus one non-MTX csDMARD vs abatacept plus MTX were 35.7% vs 41.7% and 2.4% vs 2.3% (ATTAIN), 58.0% vs 55.9% and 4.2% vs 1.7% (ASSURE), and 38.1% vs 44.3% and 0.6% vs 2.9% (ARRIVE). Conclusions: Abatacept in combination with non-MTX csDMARDs is clinically effective and well tolerated in patients with moderate-to-severe RA, providing similar benefits to those seen with abatacept plus MTX.

Background: The ACTION (AbataCepTIn rOutiNe clinical practice; NCT02109666) study demonstrated higher abatacept retention rates in earlier versus later lines of treatment in patients with RA; however, variations by country have been noted [ref:1]. To provide a local perspective, we compared[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 45. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), 31. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh), 27. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR)

Background: There is a wealth of data supporting the use of abatacept in combination with MTX. However, MTX is poorly tolerated by some patients, and data on alternative conventional synthetic (cs)DMARD combinations with abatacept are scarce. This exploratory analysis assessed the available efficacy[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 45. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), 31. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh), 27. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR)

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for the development and severity of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) [ref:1], [ref:2]. Patients with increased BMI are less likely to achieve sustained minimal disease activity (MDA) compared with those with normal BMI, independent of treatment [ref:3].[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 45. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), 31. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh), 27. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR)

Background: Open-label clinical trials have shown that patients with RA can switch from IV to SC abatacept therapy with no efficacy loss or safety concerns [ref:1], [ref:2]; however, findings from single-centre, real-world studies are unclear [ref:3], [ref:4].[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 44. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh); 30. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh); 26. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR)