Table 3

Primary and secondary outcomes in patients starting with GC in the included trials

	COBRA (1997)		BeSt (2005)		IDEA (2014)		COBRA light (2015)				IMPROVED (2014)
	COBRA (1997)		BeSt (2005)		IDEA (2014)		Arm 1 (COBRA)		Arm 2 (COBRA light)		Early remission		Arm 1		Arm 2
Participants (n)	76		133		57		81		83		387		83		78
GC status several months after bridging (% yes)*
	M		M		M		M		M		M		M		M
1 month	–	ND	–	ND	0	0	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND
3 months	0	4	5	32	0	0	0	35	1	37	1	15	11	20	3	3
6 months	0	5	11	16	0	0	–	ND	–	ND	3	37	36	20	19	4
12 months	–	ND	13	17	0	5	–	ND	–	ND	10	24	37	20	23	6
18 months	–	ND	–	ND	0	0	–	ND	–	ND	13	19	36	28	26	9
Mean cumulative GC dose at predefined time points
6 months	ND		2878.7		263.7		2343.7		1678.7		ND		ND		ND
12 months	2520		3571.7		490.5		2950.4		2295.7		2660.1		2935.2		2577.7
18 months	ND		3934.7		ND		ND		ND		ND		ND		ND
≥3 months continuous GC use† (% yes) within FU=
12 months	4		32		9		57		65		43		21		5
24 months	‡		42		‡		‡		‡		64		48		13
Experienced a flare after first attempt to stop GC bridging (% yes)‡	46.7		17.3		5.6		0		0		5.2		10.8		5.1
Experienced a flare after stop attempt second course of GC (% yes)‡	0		16.7		0		17.9		14.8		1.4		9.7		33.3
Having had an extra DMARD after a flare due to first attempt to stop GC bridging (% yes)	2.9		8.7		0		0		0		0		66.7		0

	tREACH (2013)						CareRA (2017)
	Arm 1		Arm 2		Arm 3		Arm 1 (classic)		Arm 2 (slim, high risk)		Arm 3 (avant garde)		Arm 4 (slim, low risk)
Participants (n)	91		93		97		98		98		93		43
GC status several months after bridging (% yes)*
	M		M		M		M		M		M		M
1 month	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	0	9	0	14	0	10	0	21
3 months	0	3	0	1	0	7	0	8	0	9	0	10	0	7
6 months	0	1	0	3	0	6	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–
12 months	0	1	0	6	0	2	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–
18 months	0	3	0	3	0	7	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–	ND	–
Mean cumulative GC dose at predefined time points
6 months	149.6		581		629.8		ND		ND		ND		ND
12 months	183.8		606.4		730.3		2597		1527		1586		1554
18 months	200.1		680.4		754.8		ND		ND		ND		ND
≥3 months continuous GC use† (% yes) within FU=
12 months	6		4		13		11		12		11		9
24 months	11		10		18		22		16		17		12
Experienced a flare after first attempt to stop GC bridging (% yes)§	1.1		1.1		2.1		19.8		17.3		5.2		11.9
Experienced a flare after stop attempt second course of GC (% yes)§	0		0		20		0		0		0		0
Having had an extra DMARD after a flare due to first attempt to stop GC bridging (% yes)	0		100		50		18.8		7.7		0		20

*Months after bridging scheme and oral GC use.
†Outside induction scheme.
‡Follow-up shorter than 24 months.
§Flare defined as: DAS28 increase >1.2 or ∆DAS >0.6 if DAS28 at previous visit was ≥3.2.
DAS28, Disease Activity Score based on 28 Joints; DMARD, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; FU, follow-up; GC, glucocorticoids; M, missings (%); ND, no data.