STep-up and Step-down Therapeutic Strategies in Childhood ARthritiS

Summary

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a conventional therapeutic regimen, based on treatment escalation (step-up strategy) and driven by the treat-to-target approach, with that of an early aggressive intervention based on the initial start of a combination of conventional and biological DMARDs (step-down strategy).

Timeline

Start

2019-05-29

Primary completion

2025-02-28

Completion

2025-02-28

Publications

• Background Wallace CA, Giannini EH, Spalding SJ, Hashkes PJ, O'Neil KM, Zeft AS, Szer IS, Ringold S, Brunner HI, Schanberg LE, Sundel RP, Milojevic D, Punaro MG, Chira P, Gottlieb BS, Higgins GC, Ilowite NT, Kimura Y, Hamilton S, Johnson A, Huang B, Lovell DJ; Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance. Trial of early aggressive therapy in polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2012 Jun;64(6):2012-21. doi: 10.1002/art.34343. Epub 2011 Dec 19.
• Background Ravelli A, Consolaro A, Horneff G, Laxer RM, Lovell DJ, Wulffraat NM, Akikusa JD, Al-Mayouf SM, Anton J, Avcin T, Berard RA, Beresford MW, Burgos-Vargas R, Cimaz R, De Benedetti F, Demirkaya E, Foell D, Itoh Y, Lahdenne P, Morgan EM, Quartier P, Ruperto N, Russo R, Saad-Magalhaes C, Sawhney S, Scott C, Shenoi S, Swart JF, Uziel Y, Vastert SJ, Smolen JS. Treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis to target: recommendations of an international task force. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018 Jun;77(6):819-828. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-213030. Epub 2018 Apr 11.
• Tan J, Renton WD, Whittle SL, Takken T, Johnston RV, Tiller G, Munro J, Buchbinder R. Methotrexate for juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Feb 9;2(2):CD003129. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003129.pub2.
• Burrone M, Mazzoni M, Naddei R, Pistorio A, Spelta M, Scala S, Patrone E, Garrone M, Lombardi M, Villa L, Pascale G, Cavanna R, Ruperto N, Ravelli A, Consolaro A; Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO). Looking for the best strategy to treat children with new onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis: presentation of the "comparison of STep-up and step-down therapeutic strategies in childhood ARthritiS" (STARS) trial. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J. 2022 Sep 7;20(1):80. doi: 10.1186/s12969-022-00739-x.

Drugs

Indications