RICE: Remission by Intra-articular Injection Plus CErtolizumab (RICE)
Rheumatoid Arthritis
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Rheumatoid Arthritis focused on measuring Certolizumab pegol, DMARD, Joint injection, Glucocorticoids
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male or female subjects aged 18 years or older at the time of consent
- Able to give informed consent
Patients diagnosed as having established and active rheumatoid arthritis classified according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria (Aletaha D et al 2010) for a period of ≥ 3 months counting from the first DMARD treatment initiated. Active rheumatoid arthritis is characterised as all of the following:
- ≥6 tender joint out of the 68 joint count
- ≥6 swollen joints out of the 66 joint count
- ESR ≥ 20mm/h or CRP ≥7mg/l
- Has a been found to be intolerant to, or had an inadequate clinical response to at least 1 DMARD
- Is currently being treated with DMARDs for ≥ 12 weeks and has reached a stable dose for ≥ 4 weeks.
- Is currently receiving a corticosteroid (e.g. prednisolone or equivalent) and has reached a stable dose of ≤ 10mg/d for ≥ 4 weeks (patients without current corticosteroid treatment for ≥ 4 weeks may also be included.
- Available for the whole duration of the study.
- Female subjects of childbearing potential must use maximally effective birth control during the period of therapy, must be willing to use contraception for the duration of the study (starting from randomisation and ending up to Week 24 at Day 168/Safety follow-up visit). Must have a negative pregnancy test upon entry into the study. Otherwise, female subjects must be postmenopausal (no menstrual period for a minimum of 12 months) or surgically sterile.
- Male subjects must be surgically sterile or willing to use a double barrier contraception method upon enrolment, for the duration of the study (starting from randomisation and ending up to Week 24 at Day 168/Safety follow-up visit).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women or such with a child-bearing potential who are unwilling or unable to use an acceptable method of contraception to avoid pregnancy for the entire study period (up to Week 24 at Day 168/Safety follow-up visit)
- Subjects with a history of cancer in the last 5 years, or with a current screening suspicious for cancer, other than non-melanoma skin cell cancers cured by local resection or carcinoma in situ
- Subjects with evidence of untreated, active or latent bacterial (e.g. tuberculosis) or viral infections (e.g. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B or C) at the time of potential enrolment
- Subjects with any serious bacterial infection within the last 3 months, unless treated and resolved with antibiotics, or any untreated, chronic bacterial infection
- Having participated in another drug or an interventional study within 30 days preceding the present study screening
- Any previous treatment with CZP
- Any previous treatment with a biological DMARD
Sites / Locations
- Kantonsspital St. Gallen
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
intensive, adapted treatment strategy
fixed-dosed program
Experimental: intensive, adapted treatment strategy Certolizumab pegol (CZP, Cimzia (R)): 200mg every 2 weeks after loading d 400mg at Weeks 0, 2 and 4 DMARD: Patients without sufficient treatment response will be taken to the next step according to the therapeutic algorithm or next drug, for example: 15=>25mg Metoject (R)/week => Leflunomide Gebro (R)20mg/d => Salazopyrine EN(R) 2000mg/d Glucocorticoids: At Week, 0 patients will be initiated on Spiricort (R) 20mg/d and tapered every 5 days Joint injections: Starting at Week 0 up to 5 joint injections may be conducted into synovitic joints at every visit of the study. The maximum cumulative Lederlon (R) dose is 100mg/visit. Joints are to be infiltrated with the following doses of triamcinolone and lidocaine
Intervention: Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia (R), CZP) CZP of 400mg at Weeks 0, 2 and 4, followed by 200mg injections from Week 6, every 2 weeks until Week 24. DMARD: Patients are to continue to receive their stable weekly dose of DMARD as noted at study entry for the duration of the study (24 weeks) Glucocorticoids: Prednisolone (Spiricort (R)) daily dose of ≤ 10 mg Joint injections: None