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Safety and Efficacy of Etanercept Treatment in Elderly Subjects
with Rheumatoid Arthritis
JOAN M. BATHON, ROY M. FLEISCHMANN, DÉSIRÉE M. van der HEIJDE, JOHN R. TESSER, PAUL M. PELOSO, YUN CHON, and BARBARA WHITE
ABSTRACT. Methods. Subset analyses were used to describe the safety and efficacy of etanercept in elderly and younger subjects treated for early and disease modifying antirheumatic drug-resistant or late-stage RA (ERA and LRA) in one of 4 randomized controlled clinical studies (N = 1353) or 2 longterm extensions (N = 1049). Results. Rates of serious adverse events tended to be higher in elderly than younger subjects; however, rates of safety events observed in elderly etanercept-treated subjects did not exceed rates in elderly placebo or methotrexate (MTX)-treated subjects. With regard to efficacy measures [American College of Rheumatology 20% response (ACR20), ACR50, and ACR70], elderly subjects tended to have somewhat less robust responses to treatment than younger subjects. However, for both age groups, treatment with etanercept resulted in improved efficacy and function compared with control treatment, and combination therapy with etanercept plus MTX resulted in greater efficacy than either etanercept or MTX used alone. Efficacy responses of elderly subjects were sustained for up to 6 years. Radiographic progression (measured using modified Sharp Score) after one year of treatment was lower in subjects treated with both etanercept and MTX compared with subjects treated with either agent used alone, and this pattern was similar in both age groups. Conclusion. Consistent with responses in younger subjects, elderly subjects with RA treated with etanercept experienced significant improvement in disease activity and function without incurring additional safety concerns. (J Rheumatol 2006;33:234-43) Key Indexing Terms:
ETANERCEPT
From the Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA; Rheumatology Department, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Phoenix Center for Clinical Research, Phoenix, Arizona; and Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, California, USA. Supported by Immunex Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen Inc., and by Wyeth, Collegeville, PA, USA. J.M. Bathon, MD, Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University; R.M. Fleischmann, MD, Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas; D.M. van der Heijde, MD, Rheumatology Department, University Hospital, Maastricht; J.R. Tesser, MD, Phoenix Center for Clinical Research; P.M. Peloso, MD; Y. Chon, PhD; B. White, MD, Amgen Inc. Address reprints requests to Dr. J. Bathon, Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Ste. 1B13, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD 21224. E-mail: jbathon@jhmi.edu Accepted for publication August 23, 2005.
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