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Efficiency of dose reduction strategy of etanercept in patients with axial spondyloarthritis

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

 

  1. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. lianfan_l@hotmail.com
  2. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  3. Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  4. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  5. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
  6. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

CER10875
2018 Vol.36, N°5
PI 0884, PF 0890
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PMID: 29652659 [PubMed]

Received: 08/10/2017
Accepted : 26/02/2018
In Press: 13/04/2018
Published: 26/09/2018

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the efficacy of different tapering or discontinuation strategies of etanercept in a cohort of axial spondyloarthritis from South China.
METHODS:
We performed a retrospective cohort study. Axial SpA patients who achieved clinical remission for at least 6 months after receiving a standard dose of etanercept therapy were enrolled. Different tapering or discontinuation strategies were compared.
RESULTS:
Altogether, 258 cases were enrolled. No differences were found in baseline characteristics among the three groups. Significantly more patients on discontinuation group (19%) than tapering group (5.4%, p<0.001) relapsed as early as 6 months. Almost all of the patients (103/107, 96.3%) in taper 25% group and more than 80% (71/88, 80.7%) of the patients in taper 50% group maintained low disease activity (LDA) or clinical remission during the first year. At the end of the 2-year follow-up, the percentage of patients maintaining LDA or remission were 28.6% (discontinuation), 55.7% (taper 50%), 84.1% (taper 25%), respectively. Activity indexes were significantly lower in taper 25% group compared to the other two groups. Patients in discontinuation group and tapering 50% group, with longer SpA duration were more likely to relapse, and remission>12 months before discontinuation/tapering helped to reduce relapse.
CONCLUSIONS:
It is feasible to slowly increase the dosing interval and transit to the lowest effective dosing interval for some patients in remission/LDA. Prolonging the time under remission before tapering help to improve the outcome. Tapering 25% of the etanercept dose every 3 months may be a pragmatic approach for more cost-effective use of the drug.

Rheumatology Article