Number of patients (proportion of patients randomly allocated to receive placebo or active treatment who obtained an ACR 20 response), rate ratio, absolute rate difference, and number needed to treat for placebo controlled, double blind, randomised clinical trials of the addition of active treatment to methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
|
First author (ref) |
Therapeutic agent |
Placebo No (%) |
Active Rx No (%) |
Rate ratio (95% CI) |
Rate diff (95% CI) |
NNT (95% CI) |
| Tugwell (10) | Cyclosporin | 73 (16) | 75 (48) | 2.92 (1.65 to 5.15) | 32 (17 to 46) | 3 (2 to 6) |
| Weinblatt (15) | Etanercept | 30 (27) | 59 (71) | 2.67 (1.44 to 4.94) | 44 (25 to 64) | 2 (1 to 4) |
| Maini (16) | Infliximab | 88 (20) | 340 (53) | 2.60 (1.70 to 3.98) | 33 (23 to 43) | 3 (2 to 4) |
| Kremer (19) | Leflunomide | 133 (20) | 130 (46) | 2.36 (1.60 to 3.49) | 27 (16 to 38) | 4 (3 to 6) |
ACR = American College of Rheumatology; CI = confidence interval; NNT = number needed to treat; Rx = treatment.