25 mg etanercept once weekly in rheumatoid arthritis and spondylarthropathy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the clinical results at 6 months of etanercept 25 mg once weekly (half-dose), and etanercept 25 mg twice weekly (full-dose), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondylarthropathy.

METHODS:

Case records of all patients treated by etanercept for at least 6 months in the same rheumatology unit were retrospectively studied, to assess the mean values of DAS-28 and BASDAI, just before (J0), and after 6 months (M6) of treatment, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondylarthropathy treated with etanercept 25 mg given either once or twice weekly.

RESULTS:

112 patients had been treated for at least 6 months (44 at half-dose, and 68 at full-dose). Values of DAS-28 or BASDAI both at J0 and M6 were available in 92 patients. DAS-28 dramatically improved both in the half-dose group (from 5.2+/-0.8 to 3.5+/-0.8) and in the full-dose group (from 5.5+/-1.0 to 4.1+/-1.0). BASDAI also strikingly improved both in the half-dose group (from 60+/-13 to 25+/-18), and in the full-dose group (from 58+/-15 to 37+/-23).

CONCLUSION:

Although this was not a double-blind, prospective, randomised study, the strong improvement noticed in the half-dose group suggests that etanercept 25 mg once a week can induce major clinical and biological relief in some patients with RA or spondylarthropathy.

• Authors: Jean-Marie Berthelot, Stéphane Varin, Grégoire Cormier, Laetitia Tortellier, Pascale Guillot, Joëlle Glemarec, Yves Maugars
• Journal: Joint bone spine (Joint Bone Spine) Vol. 74 Issue 2 Pg. 144-7 (Mar 2007) ISSN: 1778-7254 [Electronic] France
• PMID: 17337351 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antirheumatic Agents
• Immunoglobulin G
• Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
• Etanercept

Topics

• Antirheumatic Agents (administration & dosage)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Etanercept
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (administration & dosage)
• Middle Aged
• Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor (administration & dosage)
• Retrospective Studies
• Spondylarthropathies (drug therapy)
• Treatment Outcome