Baricitinib Lowers Structural Joint Damage in Patients With RA: Study

The results of the study are as follows:

· Overall, 2125/2573 (82.6%) randomized patients entered RA-BEYOND; 1837/2125 (86.4%) entered this analysis.

· From years 3 to 5, higher proportions of DMARD-naïve patients on initial baricitinib (monotherapy; +MTX) had no progression versus initial MTX

· Higher proportions of patients with an inadequate response (IR) to MTX on initial baricitinib or adalimumab versus placebo had no progression

· Higher proportions of patients with conventional synthetic (cs)DMARD-IR on initial baricitinib 4 mg had less progression versus initial placebo or baricitinib 2 mg.

Thus, the researchers concluded that oral baricitinib maintained lower levels of radiographic progression than initial csDMARD or placebo through 5 years in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Reference:

A study titled, "Radiographic progression of structural joint damage over 5 years of baricitinib treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from RA-BEYOND" by Désirée van der Heijde et. al published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.210346