TNF-blocking Therapy in Combination With Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Summary

The FIN-RACo trial is an investigator initiated multicenter (n=15 centers in Finland) prospective study on the treatment of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with combination therapy with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs starting with methotrexate, sulphasalazine, hydroxychloroquine and prednisolone (COMBI). During the first 6 months, the patients are randomized to treatment with infliximab/placebo added on the combination treatment. The study is prospective for 5 years, with extension to 10 years. The target is to induce remission in both treatment arms. To reach this target, the investigators use frequent changes of doses and anti-rheumatic drugs and use of intra-articular glucocorticoid injections. The primary endpoints are the proportions of patients with remission at 2 and 5 years in both treatment arms.

Timeline

Start

2003-03

Primary completion

2007-05

Completion

2015-12

Publications

• Results Leirisalo-Repo M, Kautiainen H, Laasonen L, Korpela M, Kauppi MJ, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Luosujarvi R, Luukkainen R, Karjalainen A, Blafield H, Uutela T, Ilva K, Julkunen HA, Paimela L, Puolakka K, Moilanen E, Hannonen PJ, Mottonen T; NEO-RACo Study Group. Infliximab for 6 months added on combination therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year results from an investigator-initiated, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the NEO-RACo Study). Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Jun;72(6):851-7. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-201365. Epub 2012 Jun 30.
• Results Rantalaiho V, Kautiainen H, Jarvenpaa S, Korpela M, Malmi T, Hannonen P, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Yli-Kerttula T, Mottonen T, Mustila A, Karjalainen A, Paimela L, Uutela T, Leirisalo-Repo M; NEO-RACo Study Group. Failure in longterm treatment is rare in actively treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but may be predicted by high health assessment score at baseline and by residual disease activity at 3 and 6 months: the 5-year followup results of the randomized clinical NEO-RACo trial. J Rheumatol. 2014 Dec;41(12):2379-85. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.140267. Epub 2014 Oct 1.
• Results Rantalaiho V, Kautiainen H, Korpela M, Hannonen P, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Mottonen T, Kauppi M, Karjalainen A, Laiho K, Laasonen L, Hakola M, Peltomaa R, Leirisalo-Repo M; NEO-RACo Study Group. Targeted treatment with a combination of traditional DMARDs produces excellent clinical and radiographic long-term outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis regardless of initial infliximab. The 5-year follow-up results of a randomised clinical trial, the NEO-RACo trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014 Nov;73(11):1954-61. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203497. Epub 2013 Aug 1.
• Sandstrom T, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Mali M, Kauppi M, Kautiainen H, Hannonen P, Yli-Kerttula T, Leirisalo-Repo M, Rantalaiho V. Limited reduction of bone mineral density in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis receiving aggressive treatment: 10 year results of the NEO-RACo study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2025 Nov;54(6):412-420. doi: 10.1080/03009742.2025.2515696. Epub 2025 Jun 23.
• Vuolteenaho K, Tuure L, Nieminen R, Laasonen L, Leirisalo-Repo M, Moilanen E; NEO-RACo Study Group. Pretreatment resistin levels are associated with erosive disease in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and infliximab. Scand J Rheumatol. 2022 May;51(3):180-185. doi: 10.1080/03009742.2021.1929456. Epub 2021 Jul 15.
• Sandstrom T, Rantalaiho V, Yli-Kerttula T, Kautiainen H, Malmi T, Karjalainen A, Uusitalo T, Julkunen H, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Paimela L, Puolakka K, Uutela T, Mottonen T, Hannonen P, Leirisalo-Repo M, Laasonen L, Kauppi M; NEO-RACo Study Group. Cervical Spine Involvement among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated Actively with Treat-to-target Strategy: 10-year Results of the NEO-RACo Study. J Rheumatol. 2020 Aug 1;47(8):1160-1164. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.190139. Epub 2019 Nov 15.
• Rantalaiho V, Sandstrom T, Koski J, Hannonen P, Mottonen T, Kaipiainen-Seppanen O, Yli-Kerttula T, Kauppi MJ, Uutela T, Malmi T, Julkunen H, Laasonen L, Kautiainen H, Leirisalo-Repo M; NEO-RACo Study Group. Early Targeted Combination Treatment With Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Long-Term Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Ten-Year Follow-Up Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2019 Nov;71(11):1450-1458. doi: 10.1002/acr.23782.

Drugs

Indications