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Study of the Optimal Protocol for Methotrexate and Adalimumab Combination Therapy in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (OPTIMA)

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Abbott

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 4

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Treatments

Biological: placebo
Drug: methotrexate
Biological: adalimumab

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Industry

Identifiers

NCT00420927
M06-810
2006-004139-31 (EudraCT Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study compared the safety and efficacy of combination therapy with adalimumab plus methotrexate (MTX) to that of MTX monotherapy (i.e., placebo plus MTX) in subjects with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Full description

This was a 78-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-treatment period study designed to compare the safety and efficacy of adalimumab and MTX with placebo and MTX in subjects with early RA. Subjects were randomized to receive adalimumab 40 mg every other week (eow) or placebo subcutaneous injections in combination with orally administered MTX for 26 weeks (Period 1). All subjects in all arms received open-label MTX weekly throughout the study (both Period 1 and Period 2).

At Weeks 22 and 26, subjects were assessed for achievement of low disease activity, defined as a DAS28 score below 3.2. DAS28 is a measure of RA disease activity calculated using the number of tender and swollen joints (out of a total of 28), C-reactive protein level (CRP, a blood marker of inflammation), and the patient's global assessment of disease activity (indicated by marking a 10 cm line between very good and very bad). Subjects who achieved low disease activity at Week 22 and 26 in the adalimumab arm at the end of Period 1 were randomized to receive MTX monotherapy (placebo and MTX) or combination therapy (adalimumab and MTX) in a 1:1 ratio for the duration of Period 2 (52 weeks, i.e., to Week 78 of the study). Subjects achieving low disease activity at Week 22 and 26 in the placebo arm (MTX monotherapy) at the end of Period 1 continued to receive MTX monotherapy (and placebo injections in a blinded fashion) for the duration of Period 2. Subjects failing to achieve low disease activity at Week 22 and 26 at the end of Period 1 received open-label combination therapy during Period 2 regardless of treatment assignment in Period 1.

Enrollment

1,032 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Subject must be 18 or older and in good health

  • Subject must meet the definition of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) defined by the 1987-revised American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria and had disease duration of less than 1 year from diagnosis

  • Subject must have a Disease Activity Score (DAS28, based on C-reactive protein) greater than 3.2, at least 6 swollen joints out of the 66 assessed, and at least 8 tender joints out of the 68 assessed

  • Subject must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:

    • Rheumatoid factor positive
    • Greater than 1 joint erosion
    • Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody positive.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Subject has previously received systemic anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy
  • Subject has received any biologic or investigational therapy within 6 weeks prior to Baseline
  • Subject has been previously treated with more than 2 disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or MTX, had been treated with intra-articular or parenteral administration of corticosteroids in preceding 4 weeks, or had undergone joint surgery within the preceding 2 months at joints to be assessed during the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Double Blind

1,032 participants in 5 patient groups

ADA+MTX/PBO+MTX (Arm 1)
Experimental group
Description:
Combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and blinded adalimumab (ADA) during Period 1, MTX monotherapy plus blinded placebo (PBO) during Period 2
Treatment:
Biological: adalimumab
Drug: methotrexate
Biological: placebo
ADA+MTX/ADA+MTX (Arm2)
Experimental group
Description:
Combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and blinded adalimumab (ADA) during Period 1 and Period 2
Treatment:
Biological: adalimumab
Drug: methotrexate
ADA+MTX/OL ADA+MTX (Arm 3)
Experimental group
Description:
Combination therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and blinded adalimumab (ADA) during Period 1, open-label combination therapy with ADA + MTX during Period 2
Treatment:
Biological: adalimumab
Drug: methotrexate
PBO+MTX/PBO+MTX (Arm 4)
Experimental group
Description:
Methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy plus blinded placebo (PBO) during Period 1 and Period 2
Treatment:
Drug: methotrexate
Biological: placebo
PBO+MTX/OL ADA+MTX (Arm 5)
Experimental group
Description:
Methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy plus blinded placebo (PBO) during Period 1, open-label combination therapy with adalimumab (ADA) and MTX during Period 2.
Treatment:
Biological: adalimumab
Drug: methotrexate
Biological: placebo

Trial contacts and locations

170

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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