Sarilumab may be an effective option for patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to topline results from a new study.
Sarilumab may be an effective option for patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-including those who have had an inadequate response to, or were intolerant of, 1 or more TNF-alpha inhibitors (TNF-IR) or inadequate response to methotrexate, according to topline results from a new study.
SARIL-RA-TARGET trial enrolled 546 TNF-IR and evaluated the efficacy and safety of 2 subcutaneous sarilumab doses versus placebo, added to non-biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy in patients who were inadequate responders to or intolerant of TNF-alpha inhibitors (TNF-IR). Patients (n=546) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups every other week (Q2W): sarilumab 200 mg, sarilumab 150 mg, or placebo, self-administered subcutaneously (SC) in addition to DMARD therapy. The study met its co-primary efficacy end points showing that sarilumab + DMARDs had greater improvement in signs and symptoms of RA at 24 weeks and physical function as 12 weeks compared to placebo + DMARDs:
Dr van Adelsberg“Despite the availability of a wide range of synthetic and biologic DMARDs and biologic treatments for RA, new agents are still needed to address issues including failure to respond, an initial response which diminishes over time and intolerance to current therapies,” said Janet van Adelsberg, MD, senior director, immunology and inflammation at Regeneron.
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Studies have generated evidence that inhibition of IL-6 can reduce the signs and symptoms of RA and help to stop the destruction of joints in patients with RA, according to van Adelsberg.
NEXT: Endpoints for SARIL-RA-EASY and SARIL-RA-ASCERTAIN trials
Most frequently reported adverse events included infections and injection-site reactions. Serious infections were uncommon.
Two additional trials from the phase 3 program, SARIL-RA-EASY and SARIL-RA-ASCERTAIN, also met their primary end points:
The studies were sponsored by the Regeneron and Sanofi Alliance.
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