Up to 40% of patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis fail to achieve an adequate therapeutic response with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors such as etanercept (marketed as Enbrel®), adalimumab (marketed as Humira®), or infliximab (marketed as Remicade®).

Up to 40% of patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis fail to achieve an adequate therapeutic response with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors such as etanercept (marketed as Enbrel®), adalimumab (marketed as Humira®), or infliximab (marketed as Remicade®). According to a study in the most recent issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, rituximab (marketed as Rituxan®) slows the progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who have an inadequate response to TNF inhibitors .

Rituximab is an antibody-based therapy that targets a specific type of immune cell called the CD20-positive B cell. An international group of researchers identified 517 RA patients who had demonstrated an inadequate response to TNF inhibitors and randomly assigned these patients to receive either methotrexate and rituximab or methotrexate and a placebo pill. They found that, after 56 weeks of treatment, the progression of joint damage in the rituximab-treated patients was significantly lower than in the placebo group.

This study is important because it is the first to provide evidence that a B cell-targeted therapy can inhibit the progression of structural joint damage in RA. It is especially promising for treatment-resistant RA patients who are suffering from the painful symptoms of progressive joint damage.

Source

Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:216-221.