Anti-TNF therapies reduce disease activity in most people with psoriatic arthritis – fresh evidence

New evidence has come to light about the substantial benefits that anti-TNF therapies (a class of biologic drugs) can deliver to people with psoriatic arthritis.
Canadian experts aimed to identify disease characteristics, outcomes and predictors of minimal disease activity (MDA) in 226 people with psoriatic arthritis who were treated with TNF-alpha blockers. The volunteers were assessed at three- to six-month intervals. Sustained MDA was defined as an MDA state lasting for at least 12 months.
It was found that 145 volunteers (64%) achieved MDA, the research group reports in Arthritis Care & Research, and after stopping or reducing the treatment 11.6% maintained this low-activity state.
The study offers fresh evidence of the benefits of anti-TNF therapies for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions, particularly rheumatoid arthritis. The drug category includes compounds such as adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab, all of which are recommended by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

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Image credit: Hans Splinter