Background:Certolizumab pegol is a PEGylated tumour necrosis factor inhibitor.Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol versus placebo, plus methotrexate (MTX), in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:An international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in active adult-onset RA. Patients (n = 619) were randomised 2:2:1 to subcutaneous certolizumab pegol (liquid formulation) 400 mg at weeks 0, 2 and 4 followed by 200 mg or 400 mg plus MTX, or placebo plus MTX, every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. The primary end point was ACR20 response at week 24. Secondary end points included ACR50 and ACR70 responses, change from baseline in modified Total Sharp Score, ACR core set variables and physical function.Results:Significantly more patients in the certolizumab pegol 200 mg and 400 mg groups achieved an ACR20 response versus placebo (p⩽0.001); rates were 57.3%, 57.6% and 8.7%, respectively. Certolizumab pegol 200 and 400 mg also significantly inhibited radiographic progression; mean changes from baseline in mTSS at week 24 were 0.2 and −0.4, respectively, versus 1.2 for placebo (rank analysis p⩽0.01). Certolizumab pegol-treated patients reported rapid and significant improvements in physical function versus placebo; mean changes from baseline in HAQ-DI at week 24 were −0.50 and −0.50, respectively, versus −0.14 for placebo (p⩽0.001). Most adverse events were mild or moderate, with low incidence of withdrawals due to adverse events. Five patients developed tuberculosis.Conclusion:Certolizumab pegol plus MTX was more efficacious than placebo plus MTX, rapidly and significantly improving signs and symptoms of RA and physical function and inhibiting radiographic progression.Trial registration number:NCT00175877

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ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of sarilumab plus conventional synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with active moderate‐to‐severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response or intolerance to anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) therapy.MethodsPatients were randomly allocated to receive sarilumab 150 mg, sarilumab 200 mg, or placebo every 2 weeks for 24 weeks with background conventional synthetic DMARDs. The co‐primary end points were the proportion of patients achieving a response according to the American College of Rheumatology 20% criteria for improvement (ACR20) at week 24, and change from baseline in the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ DI) at week 12. Each sarilumab dose was evaluated against placebo; differences between the 2 sarilumab doses were not assessed.ResultsThe baseline characteristics of the treatment groups were similar. The ACR20 response rate at week 24 was significantly higher with sarilumab 150 mg and sarilumab 200 mg every 2 weeks compared with placebo (55.8%, 60.9%, and 33.7%, respectively; P < 0.0001). The mean change from baseline in the HAQ DI score at week 12 was significantly greater for sarilumab (least squares mean change: for 150 mg, −0.46 [P = 0.0007]; for 200 mg, −0.47 [P = 0.0004]) versus placebo (−0.26). Infections were the most frequently reported treatment‐emergent adverse events. Serious infections occurred in 1.1%, 0.6%, and 1.1% of patients receiving placebo, sarilumab 150 mg, and sarilumab 200 mg, respectively. Laboratory abnormalities included decreased absolute neutrophil count and increased transaminase levels in both sarilumab groups compared with placebo. In this study, reductions in the absolute neutrophil count were not associated with an increased incidence of infections or serious infections.ConclusionSarilumab 150 mg and sarilumab 200 mg every 2 weeks plus conventional synthetic DMARDs improved the signs and symptoms of RA and physical function in patients with an inadequate response or intolerance to anti‐TNF agents. Safety data were consistent with interleukin‐6 receptor blockade and the known safety profile of sarilumab.

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BackgroundCT-P13 (Remsima®, Inflectra®) is a biosimilar of the infliximab reference product (RP; Remicade®). The aim of this study was to compare the 54-week efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of CT-P13 and RP in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsIn this multinational phase III double-blind study, patients with active RA and an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) were randomized (1:1) to receive CT-P13 (3 mg/kg) or RP (3 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, 6 and then every 8 weeks to week 54 in combination with MTX (12.5–25 mg/week). Efficacy endpoints included American College of Rheumatology (ACR)20, ACR50 and ACR70 response rates, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response rates, patient-reported outcomes and joint damage progression. Immunogenicity, safety and PK/PD outcomes were also assessed.ResultsOf 606 randomized patients, 455 (CT-P13 233, RP 222) were treated up to week 54. At week 54, ACR20 response rate was highly similar between groups (CT-P13 74.7 %, RP 71.3 %). ACR50 and ACR70 response rates were also comparable between groups (CT-P13 43.6 % and 21.3 %, respectively; RP 43.1 % and 19.9 %, respectively). DAS28, SDAI and CDAI decreased from baseline to week 54 to a similar extent with CT-P13 and RP. Radiographic progression measured by Sharp scores as modified by van der Heijde was also comparable. With both treatments, patient assessments of pain, disease activity and physical ability, as well as mean scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), improved markedly at week 14 and remained stable thereafter up to week 54. The proportion of patients positive for antidrug antibodies at week 54 was similar between the two groups: 41.1 % and 36.0 % with CT-P13 and RP, respectively. CT-P13 was well tolerated and had a similar safety profile to RP. PK/PD results were also comparable between CT-P13 and RP.ConclusionsCT-P13 and RP were comparable in terms of efficacy (including radiographic progression), immunogenicity and PK/PD up to week 54. The safety profile of CT-P13 was also similar to that of RP.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01217086. Registered 4 Oct 2010.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-016-0981-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.