Methotrexate plus Etanercept for Early, Moderate-to-Severe RA

Likelihood of remission and of radiographic nonprogression was greater with combination therapy than with methotrexate alone.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), anti–tumor necrosis factor agents, such as etanercept, increase remission rates when they are added to disease-modifying drugs such as methotrexate (MTX). In a new study, investigators randomized 542 RA patients — most had severe disease that had been diagnosed within 3 to 24 months of enrollment — to MTX (7.5 mg weekly; titrated to 20 mg weekly according to clinical criteria) plus subcutaneous etanercept (Enbrel; 50 mg weekly) or MTX plus placebo. The study was funded by the manufacturer of etanercept, and its employees were involved in study design, data collection, and analysis.

At 1 year, 50% of subjects who received combined therapy versus 28% of those who received MTX alone achieved remission…

Reviewing Author

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

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Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Disclosures

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Methotrexate plus Etanercept for Early, Moderate-to-Severe RA

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