COBRA-Slim With or Without Fast Access to TNF Blockade for Remission Induction in Early RA

Summary

In the Care in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CareRA) trial (NCT01172639) about 70% of early RA patients are in remission at the 2 year evaluation point independent of the combination scheme used. Interesting to see is that the 30% of insufficient responders can be identified in an early stage of the treatment course. The purpose of the present study is to investigate if, for patients with an insufficient response to a COBRA-Slim regimen, accelerated access to a short course of anti-TNF therapy already early after treatment initiation (from w8 until w32) could improve outcomes compared to a more traditional treat to target sequence.

Timeline

Start

2018-06-08

Primary completion

2022-07-01

Completion

2022-07-01

Publications

• Background Van der Elst K, De Cock D, Vecoven E, Arat S, Meyfroidt S, Joly J, Moons P, Verschueren P, Westhovens R, CareRA Study Group. Are illness perception and coping style associated with the delay between symptom onset and the first general practitioner consultation in early rheumatoid arthritis management? An exploratory study within the CareRA trial. Scand J Rheumatol. 2016;45(3):171-8. doi: 10.3109/03009742.2015.1074278. Epub 2015 Sep 23.
• Background Verschueren P, Esselens G, Westhovens R. Predictors of remission, normalized physical function, and changes in the working situation during follow-up of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: an observational study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2009 May-Jun;38(3):166-72. doi: 10.1080/03009740802484846.
• Results Verschueren P, Westhovens R. The use of glucocorticoids in early rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018 Aug 1;57(8):1316-1317. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kex271. No abstract available.
• Results Verschueren P, De Cock D, Corluy L, Joos R, Langenaken C, Taelman V, Raeman F, Ravelingien I, Vandevyvere K, Lenaerts J, Geens E, Geusens P, Vanhoof J, Durnez A, Remans J, Vander Cruyssen B, Van Essche E, Sileghem A, De Brabanter G, Joly J, Meyfroidt S, Van der Elst K, Westhovens R. Effectiveness of methotrexate with step-down glucocorticoid remission induction (COBRA Slim) versus other intensive treatment strategies for early rheumatoid arthritis in a treat-to-target approach: 1-year results of CareRA, a randomised pragmatic open-label superiority trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017 Mar;76(3):511-520. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209212. Epub 2016 Jul 18.
• Results De Cock D, Van der Elst K, Meyfroidt S, Verschueren P, Westhovens R. The optimal combination therapy for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2015;16(11):1615-25. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2015.1056735. Epub 2015 Jun 10.
• Results Verschueren P, De Cock D, Corluy L, Joos R, Langenaken C, Taelman V, Raeman F, Ravelingien I, Vandevyvere K, Lenaerts J, Geens E, Geusens P, Vanhoof J, Durnez A, Remans J, Vander Cruyssen B, Van Essche E, Sileghem A, De Brabanter G, Joly J, Van der Elst K, Meyfroidt S, Westhovens R; CareRA study group. Patients lacking classical poor prognostic markers might also benefit from a step-down glucocorticoid bridging scheme in early rheumatoid arthritis: week 16 results from the randomized multicenter CareRA trial. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015 Apr 9;17(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s13075-015-0611-8.
• Results Meyfroidt S, Van der Elst K, De Cock D, Joly J, Westhovens R, Hulscher M, Verschueren P. Patient experiences with intensive combination-treatment strategies with glucocorticoids for early rheumatoid arthritis. Patient Educ Couns. 2015 Mar;98(3):384-90. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.11.011. Epub 2014 Nov 20.
• Results Verschueren P, De Cock D, Corluy L, Joos R, Langenaken C, Taelman V, Raeman F, Ravelingien I, Vandevyvere K, Lenaerts J, Geens E, Geusens P, Vanhoof J, Durnez A, Remans J, Vander Cruyssen B, Van Essche E, Sileghem A, De Brabanter G, Joly J, Meyfroidt S, Van der Elst K, Westhovens R. Methotrexate in combination with other DMARDs is not superior to methotrexate alone for remission induction with moderate-to-high-dose glucocorticoid bridging in early rheumatoid arthritis after 16 weeks of treatment: the CareRA trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015 Jan;74(1):27-34. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-205489. Epub 2014 Oct 30.
• Results Meyfroidt S, van Hulst L, De Cock D, Van der Elst K, Joly J, Westhovens R, Hulscher M, Verschueren P. Factors influencing the prescription of intensive combination treatment strategies for early rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. 2014;43(4):265-72. doi: 10.3109/03009742.2013.863382. Epub 2014 Feb 24.
• Results Westhovens R, Verschueren P. Rheumatoid arthritis: defining remission in patients with RA in clinical practice. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012 Aug;8(8):445-7. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2012.111. Epub 2012 Jul 3. No abstract available.
• Results Verschueren P, Westhovens R. Optimal care for early RA patients: the challenge of translating scientific data into clinical practice. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2011 Jul;50(7):1194-200. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker131. Epub 2011 Mar 30.
• Results Durez P, Malghem J, Nzeusseu Toukap A, Depresseux G, Lauwerys BR, Westhovens R, Luyten FP, Corluy L, Houssiau FA, Verschueren P. Treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized magnetic resonance imaging study comparing the effects of methotrexate alone, methotrexate in combination with infliximab, and methotrexate in combination with intravenous pulse methylprednisolone. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Dec;56(12):3919-27. doi: 10.1002/art.23055.
• Results Boers M, Verhoeven AC, Markusse HM, van de Laar MA, Westhovens R, van Denderen JC, van Zeben D, Dijkmans BA, Peeters AJ, Jacobs P, van den Brink HR, Schouten HJ, van der Heijde DM, Boonen A, van der Linden S. Randomised comparison of combined step-down prednisolone, methotrexate and sulphasalazine with sulphasalazine alone in early rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 1997 Aug 2;350(9074):309-18. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)01300-7.
• Bertrand D, Joly J, Neerinckx B, Durez P, Lenaerts J, Joos R, Thevissen K, Zwaenepoel T, Vanhoof J, Di Romana S, Taelman V, Van Essche E, Corluy L, Ribbens C, Vanden Berghe M, Devinck M, Ajeganova S, Durnez A, Boutsen Y, Margaux J, Peene I, Van Offel J, Doumen M, Pazmino S, De Meyst E, Kulyk M, Creten N, Westhovens R, Verschueren P; CareRA2020 Study group. Effectiveness of methotrexate and bridging glucocorticoids with or without early introduction of a 6-month course of etanercept in early RA: results of the 2-year, pragmatic, randomised CareRA2020 trial. RMD Open. 2024 Aug 7;10(3):e004535. doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2024-004535.

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