MRI Finds Golimumab Reduces Progression of RA

A study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) found that golimumab plus methotrexate produced significantly better results than methotrexate alone. The results from the GO-FORWARD study appear in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

In the study, 444 patients with RA that had not responded to treatment with methotrexate were divided into four treatment groups: placebo plus methotrexate; golimumab 100 mg plus placebo; golimumab 50 mg plus methotrexate; and golimumab 100 mg plus methotrexate. (Placebo or golimumab were administered via subcutaneous injection once every four weeks.)

A subset of 240 patients participated in an MRI substudy. These patients had MRIs taken of the dominant wrist and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints at baseline at weeks 12 and 24. MRI images were scored for synovitis in the wrist and MCP joints, for bone oedema (osteitis), and bone erosions.

The results found significant improvements in synovitis and bone oedema in the combined golimumab plus methotrexate groups versus placebo plus methotrexate at week 12 and 24. The change from baseline to week 24 in synovitis (wrist plus MCP), bone oedema, and bone erosion scores were -27.0%, -15.8%, and +3.3% in the combined golimumab plus methotrexate groups and +5.3%, +57.6%, and +1.0% for the placebo plus methotrexate group. Since fewer than 10% of patients across all treatment groups had a substantial degree of erosive progression, it was impossible to evaluate golimumab’s effect on bone erosions.

Source

Assessment by MRI of inflammation and damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients with methotrexate inadequate response receiving golimumab: results of the GO-FORWARD trial [Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases]