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Background: The efficacy and safety of denosumab have been established in a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Korean postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. This postmarketing surveillance study was aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of denosumab in Korean real-world clinical practice.Methods: Patients with osteoporosis who had received denosumab per the Korean approved indications in the postmarketing setting between September 2014 and September 2019 were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The secondary endpoint was the percent change from baseline in bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck.Results: Of the 3,221 patients enrolled, 3,185 were included in the safety analysis set; 2,973 (93.3%) were female, and the mean± standard deviation (SD) age was 68.9±9.9 years. The mean±SD study period was 350.0±71.4 days. AEs, fatal AEs, and ADRs occurred in 19.3%, 0.8%, and 1.6%, respectively. The most frequent AEs, occurring in >0.5% of patients, were dizziness (0.7%), arthralgia (0.7%), back pain (0.6%), and myalgia (0.6%). Hypocalcemia occurred in 0.3% of patients. There were no cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femoral fracture. Mean±SD percent change from baseline in BMD of the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck was 7.3%±23.6%, 3.6%±31.4%, and 3.2%±10.7%, respectively.Conclusion: The safety and effectiveness of denosumab in Korean patients with osteoporosis in this study were comparable with those in the Korean randomized controlled trial, with no new safety findings.

Objective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune disorder that impairs patients' overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In this study, we evaluated the effect of adalimumab in Korean patients with active RA on HRQOL. Methods. Patients included in the study had moderate to severe active RA that did not respond to conventional drugs with a Disease Activity Score of 28 joints ＞3.2 and were biologics-naïve. All patients received adalimumab 40 mg subcutaneously every other week and were followed for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in baseline Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score at week 24. Secondary endpoints were changes in the EuroQol 5-dimension 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L) baseline score and Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) domain scores at weeks 12 and 24 and change in baseline HAQ-DI score at week 12. Results. In total, 91 Korean patients were included. Ninety-three percent of patients were in high disease activity with a baseline mean DAS28 value of 6.1 within all patients. The mean change from baseline in HAQ-DI scores were −0.46 at week 12 and∼0.67 at week 24 (p＜0.0001). Additionally, EQ-5D-3L score at weeks 12 and 24 had significantly improved (p＜0.0001) compared to baseline. SF-36 at weeks 12 and 24 had significantly improved (p＜0.0001, p=0.0001) compared to baseline. Conclusion. Treatment with adalimumab resulted in significant improvement in HAQ-DI, EQ-5D-3L, and SF-36 scores at 12 and 24 weeks in Korean RA patient.

Aim Peripheral features contribute to disease burden in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study investigated the frequency of peripheral disease and effectiveness of adalimumab among Korean patients with AS. Methods Peripheral disease was evaluated in consecutively enrolled patients with active AS (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI] score ≥ 4). An adult subpopulation was subsequently enrolled in a prospective, observational study and received adalimumab 40 mg, every 2 weeks. During a 52‐week follow‐up, AS disease activity was assessed by BASDAI score, and effectiveness in peripheral disease assessed via changes in Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score (MASES; 0‐13), swollen joint and tender joint counts (SJC, 0‐44; TJC, 0‐46), and dactylitic digits from baseline. Results Of 1161 Korean patients with AS, 178 (15.3%) and 306 (26.4%) had enthesitis and peripheral arthritis, respectively; dactylitis was diagnosed in 28 patients (2.4%). Of 201 patients enrolled in the observational study, 46.3%, 33.3%, and 3.0% had enthesitis, peripheral arthritis, and dactylitis, respectively. Overall, 75.1% of patients achieved >50% improvement in BASDAI score by week 12. Mean MASES was significantly reduced from 2.67 at baseline to 0.85 and 0.34 at weeks 12 and 52, respectively (P < .0001). Similarly, SJC and TJC improved significantly from 2.58 and 3.49 at baseline to 0.80 and 1.68, respectively, by week 12 (P < .0001). Dactylitis was resolved in all affected patients by week 28. Conclusion Of these Korean patients with AS, those who received adalimumab demonstrated higher prevalence for peripheral symptoms and, subsequently, adalimumab treatment improved peripheral features of their AS.

Background: Biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARD) are widely used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), enabling patients to better achieve remission. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate and compare remission rates in RA patients treated with different b/tsDMARDs during the period 2013–2019. Design: A longitudinal observational analysis was performed on data from a nationwide RA registry. Methods: Remission rates in the KOBIO-RA registry were defined by a disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), simplified disease activity index (SDAI), and Boolean-based assessment. After initiating treatment with b/tsDMARDs, yearly remission rates in response to b/tsDMARDs, either all or as subgroups (tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors, tocilizumab, abatacept, and Janus kinase inhibitors), were investigated for 5 years. Sustained remission was defined as remission maintained for two consecutive years. Results: Patients ( N = 1805) who completed at least one follow-up visit were analyzed (mean age = 55 years; 83.2% female). At month 12, 56.0% of patients achieved remission based on DAS28-C-reactive protein (CRP), 36.2% on DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), 10.4% on CDAI, 12.7% on SDAI, and 12.9% on Boolean criteria. Sustained remission rates were 62%, 40%, 13%, 11%, and 8% for the DAS28-CRP, DAS28-ESR, Boolean, SDAI, and CDAI remission criteria, respectively. Remission rates using the DAS28 definition varied most among the b/tsDMARD subgroups. Conclusion: Assessment of sustained remission using the CDAI, SDAI, or Boolean criteria is more stringent, yet congruous with the DAS28-based criteria in RA patients treated with b/tsDMARDs.