Actemra

Tocilizumab in cOmbination With traditional DMARD therapy

The TOWARD trial evaluated 1,220 patients who had an inadequate response to their existing rheumatologic therapy, including one or more disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Doses of 8 mg/kg ACTEMRA or placebo were given every 4 weeks in combination with stable DMARDs.

Summary of results
Compared with controls treated with placebo plus DMARDS, patients in the ACTEMRA 8 mg/kg plus DMARDS arm had superior American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 (60.8% vs. 24.5%), ACR50 (37.6% vs. 9.0%) and ACR70 (20.5% vs. 2.9%) responses (p<0.0001 for each) and more patients achieved Disease Activity Score (DAS28) remission at 24 weeks (30.2% vs. 3.4%, p<0.0001). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were normalized in patients in the ACTEMRA 8 mg/kg plus DMARDs arm within 2 weeks of the first infusion and remained low throughout the study. Patients in the ACTEMRA 8 mg/kg arm also showed significant improvements in physical function (health assessment questionnaire disability index [HAQ-DI] score) and fatigue (functional assessment of chronic illness therapy fatigue [FACIT-F] score).

ACTEMRA combined with one or more DMARDs was an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic approach in patients with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to a DMARD.

Reference:
Genovese MC, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2008; 58:2968-2980.