RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sustained durability and tolerability of etanercept in ankylosing spondylitis for 96 weeks
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 1557
OP 1562
DO 10.1136/ard.2004.035105
VO 64
IS 11
A1 J C Davis
A1 D M van der Heijde
A1 J Braun
A1 M Dougados
A1 J Cush
A1 D Clegg
A1 R D Inman
A1 A Kivitz
A1 L Zhou
A1 A Solinger
A1 W Tsuji
YR 2005
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/64/11/1557.abstract
AB Objective: To evaluate the continued safety and durability of clinical response in patients with ankylosing spondylitis receiving etanercept.Methods: 277 patients who had participated in a previous randomised, double blind, placebo controlled 24 week trial were eligible to continue in this open label extension study. All patients who enrolled in the open label extension (n = 257) received subcutaneous etanercept 25 mg twice weekly for up to 72 weeks, for a combined 96 weeks of cumulative trial and open label experience. For the patients who had received etanercept for 24 weeks in the double blind trial, this represented almost 2 years of continuous etanercept treatment.Results: Patients continuing etanercept treatment had a sustained response for almost 2 years, with 74% achieving an ASsessments in Ankylosing Spondylitis 20% (ASAS 20) response after 96 weeks of etanercept treatment. Patients who had received placebo in the preceding double blind trial had similar responses, with 70% of patients attaining an ASAS 20 response after 24 weeks of etanercept treatment and 78% achieving an ASAS 20 response after 72 weeks. Improved spinal mobility was seen in both groups. Etanercept was well tolerated in patients treated for up to 96 weeks.Conclusion: The subcutaneous administration of twice weekly doses of etanercept provided sustained durability of response in the improvement of signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis for nearly 2 years.