Better Management More Important in RA than New Drugs

By Judith Groch, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Published: November 26, 2008 Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor  University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Earn CME/CE credit for reading medical news

MADRID, Spain, Nov. 26 -- The number of biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis has increased in recent years, but the best results come from more effective use of available treatments, researchers found. Action Points   Explain to patients who ask that although newer drugs for rheumatoid arthritis have improved treatment since 2000, better management of treatment, including use of older drugs such as methotrexate, proved more important than specific drugs. Disease activity scores decreased, independent of the availability of new therapies, both in patients with severe and milder disease, Isidoro González-Alvaro, M.D., of the Hospital de la Princesa in Madrid, and colleagues reported in Arthritis Research and Therapy. TNF antagonists and Leflunomide (Arava) have shown efficacy in randomized controlled trials, not only controlling disease activity but also slowing or arresting radiological damage, the researchers wrote. However, they said, when used outside of clinical trials, the effectiveness of new drugs may differ, in part because clinical-trial patients are generally younger, have less comorbidity, and show greater disease activity than real-life patients./.../