Humira Helps Prevent Progression of Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (diagnosed with the disease for less than 3 years) who were treated with a combination of methotrexate and Humira had less progression of joint damage after the 5th year of the PREMIER trial than those given either drug alone, according to drugmaker Abbott.

PREMIER was a clinical trial that enrolled 799 patients to receive Humira plus methotrexate, Humira alone, or methotrexate alone for 2 years. Patients who completed the randomized, double-blind trial were eligible to enroll in an open-label extension study of Humira 40 mg every other week for 3 more years. "Open-label" means that patients and researchers knew Humira alone was being given.

Of the original group of study participants, 354 patients completed the extension study and had x-rays taken to evaluate joint damage. More than half of the patients who initially received combination therapy showed no evidence of further joint damage at the end of the 5 years. Researchers concluded that combination therapy of Humira plus methotrexate for 2 years is better than either drug alone in inhibiting x-ray evidence of joint damage for up to 5 years.

Related Resources:

• The Facts of Humira
• The Facts of Enbrel
• The Facts of Remicade
• The Facts of Methotrexate
• TNF Blockers - What You Need to Know

Join the Discussion:

• Join Us in Our Arthritis Forum / Message Board

_{Photo © Abbott Laboratories}