A PROSPECTIVE STUDY ON THE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF ETANERCEPT AND METHOTREXATE ON RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis can be effectively treated with etanercept plus methotrexate; however, there is little information on the contemporaneous commencement or usage of the combination as compared to either medication alone. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of etanercept and methotrexate in combination therapy against monotherapies for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Individuals with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned to receive oral methotrexate (up to 20 mg weekly), etanercept 25 mg (subcutaneously twice weekly), or both. The American College of Rheumatology's (ACR) criteria were used to evaluate the clinical response. The modified Sharp score was used to evaluate the change in total joint damage from baseline to week 52, which was the main radiographic. When comparing the combination group to etanercept and methotrexate alone, the ACR-N AUC at 24 weeks was higher with  p < 0.0001. The average difference in ACR-N AUC between etanercept and methotrexate was with p=0.002, and between combination and methotrexate alone was with  p<0.0001. There was a mean difference in the total Sharp score between etanercept plus methotrexate of  p = 0.005 and between combination and methotrexate alone of p < 0.0001. When compared to methotrexate or etanercept alone, the combination of the two drugs was much more effective in lowering disease activity, enhancing functional impairment, and delaying radiographic progression. These discoveries advance our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis's structural damage healing and remission.