A Study of Tocilizumab (RoActemra/Actemra) Versus Adalimumab in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Summary

This randomized, blinded, parallel arm study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (RoActemra/Actemra) versus adalimumab as monotherapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are intolerant of methotrexate or where continued treatment with methotrexate was considered inappropriate. Patients were randomized to receive either tocilizumab 8 mg/kg intravenously (iv) every 4 weeks plus placebo subcutaneously (sc) every 2 weeks, or adalimumab 40 mg sc every 2 weeks plus placebo iv every 4 weeks. Treatment was anticipated to last 24 weeks. With regard to the blind, the study nurse was unblinded due to the nature of the treatment administration, but the investigator and the patient remained blinded.

Timeline

Start

2010-05

Primary completion

2012-01

Completion

2012-01

Publications

• Strand V, Michalska M, Birchwood C, Pei J, Tuckwell K, Finch R, Gabay C, Kavanaugh A, Jones G. Impact of tocilizumab monotherapy on patient-reported outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from two randomised controlled trials. RMD Open. 2017 Sep 14;3(2):e000496. doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2017-000496. eCollection 2017.
• Gabay C, McInnes IB, Kavanaugh A, Tuckwell K, Klearman M, Pulley J, Sattar N. Comparison of lipid and lipid-associated cardiovascular risk marker changes after treatment with tocilizumab or adalimumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Oct;75(10):1806-12. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2015-207872. Epub 2015 Nov 27.
• Dennis G Jr, Holweg CT, Kummerfeld SK, Choy DF, Setiadi AF, Hackney JA, Haverty PM, Gilbert H, Lin WY, Diehl L, Fischer S, Song A, Musselman D, Klearman M, Gabay C, Kavanaugh A, Endres J, Fox DA, Martin F, Townsend MJ. Synovial phenotypes in rheumatoid arthritis correlate with response to biologic therapeutics. Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(2):R90. doi: 10.1186/ar4555. Epub 2014 Apr 30.
• Gabay C, Emery P, van Vollenhoven R, Dikranian A, Alten R, Pavelka K, Klearman M, Musselman D, Agarwal S, Green J, Kavanaugh A; ADACTA Study Investigators. Tocilizumab monotherapy versus adalimumab monotherapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (ADACTA): a randomised, double-blind, controlled phase 4 trial. Lancet. 2013 May 4;381(9877):1541-50. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60250-0. Epub 2013 Mar 18.

Drugs

Indications