Study: Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Has Preventative Benefits

Facts

• According to a study published on Tuesday in The Lancet, the biologic drug abatacept could help prevent the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.¹
• The study, led by King's College London researchers, has found that abatacept — currently used as a treatment for patients with established rheumatoid arthritis — is also effective in preventing the condition's onset in at-risk populations.²
• In a year-long '2b' clinical trial, half of the 213 patients at a high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis were treated with abatacept and half with a placebo every week. After a year, the drug was stopped, and the participants were monitored for a further 12 months.²
• After one year of treatment, 6% of patients treated with the drug had developed arthritis compared to 29% in the placebo group. At two years, 25% of patients on abatacept had developed rheumatoid arthritis compared with 37% in the placebo group.³
• In addition, secondary outcomes suggested that abatacept could improve pain scores and quality of life measurements and lower inflammation scores. The drug's side effects included dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and respiratory tract infections.³
• According to the World Health Organization, nearly 18M people worldwide are affected by the chronic inflammatory condition, which can lead to joint pain as well as heart, lung, and nervous system problems.⁴

Sources: ¹The Telegraph, ²Medicalxpress, ³King's College London and ⁴Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by US News & World Report. Rheumatoid arthritis is an incurable auto-immune disease, and there's no way to prevent it — until now. If a drug used as a second or third-line treatment for people with rheumatoid arthritis can also prevent its progression, the new treatment could offer a ray of hope for people with a high risk of developing the potentially crippling condition.
• Narrative B, as provided by Medriva. While the study's results are promising, more questions must be answered before the apparent revolutionary treatment is expanded. Researchers still need to find out the long-term health impacts of this treatment or if it would be safe, affordable, and effective to continue. More research is also necessary to refine the target population to ensure everyone receives the drug.

Predictions