Key clinical point: Rheumatologists mostly preferred tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) for the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to methotrexate. Abatacept seemed to be the more preferred option for patients with pulmonary involvement or a high risk for infection.
Major finding: TNFi was the preferred strategy in 80% of vignettes, except in cases with a history of infection and pulmonary comorbidity where abatacept was the first choice ( global BW score: TNFi, 0.53 and abatacept, 0.38 ). Tocilizumab was the third most preferred strategy, chosen in 83% of the cases ( global BW score: 0.11 ).
Study details: This was a noninterventional multicenter study involving 64 hypothetical clinical vignettes of patients with RA with an inadequate response to methotrexate. These case vignettes were presented to 211 French rheumatologists to elicit their therapeutic preferences.
Disclosures: The study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA. Some of the authors declared receiving research grants, consultancy fees, and/or being employees and/or shareholders of Eli Lilly and Company and FAST4.
Source: Senbel E et al. Rheumatol Ther. 2021 May 3. doi: 10.1007/s40744-021-00311-1 .