Impact of Concomitant MTX on Efficacy, Safety and Adherence of Ustekinumab-treatment in Patients With Active PsA (MUST)

This is an interventional treatment trial for Psoriatic Arthritis focused on measuring Psoriatic Arthritis, Ustekinumab, Methotrexate, DAS28 Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with active psoriatic arthritis who are naïve to UST will be stratified to either without MTX-therapy or on MTX-treatment (dosage 15mg once weekly) for at least 12 weeks prior to screening.

• Active PsA is defined as TJC ≥4 and SJC ≥4 (68/66 joint count) and DAS28 ≥ 3,2 at screening
• PsA according to CASPAR criteria
• At least age of 18 years
• Presence of chest x-ray without signs of active or latent infection (esp. for tuberculosis) within the last 3 months
• Permitted pre-treatment with up to three biologic-agents, whereupon only one biologic agent must be withdrawn due to inadequate response.
• For MTX-naive patients: Previous use of NSAID
• Written informed consent obtained prior to the initiation of any protocol-required procedures
• Compliance to study procedures and study protocol Inclusion criteria related to MTX
• For the group on MTX: Patients must have stable MTX dosages of at least 15mg once weekly for at least 12 weeks prior to screening and stable MTX dosages of at 15mg once weekly for at least 4 weeks prior to screening
• Compliance of intake of MTX must be documented by treating physician
• For the group without MTX therapy: patients must be eligible for MTX treatment (according to SmPC) and have not failed prior MTX treatment for the treatment of PsA

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria related to Investigational medicinal product (IMP):

• Previous use of UST or any other anti-IL23 agent
• according to SmPC

Exclusion criteria for the group without MTX:

- Inadequate Response to prior MTX-treatment for Psoriatic Arthritis

Exclusion criteria related to general health:

• previous B-cell depleting therapy
• Patients with other chronic inflammatory articular disease or systemic autoimmune disease with musculoskeletal symptoms
• Patients with active Tb
• Patients with latent Tb, measured by Interferon gamma release assay, that are not pre-treated for at least 1 months and planned to be treated 9 months in total with INH once a day according to local guidelines
• Any active infection, a history of recurrent clinically significant infection, a history of recurrent bacterial infections with encapsulated organisms
• Primary or secondary immunodeficiency
• History of cancer with curative treatment not longer than 5 years ago except basal-cell carcinoma of the skin that had been excised
• Evidence of significant uncontrolled concomitant diseases or serious and/or uncontrolled diseases that are likely to interfere with the evaluation of the patient's safety and of the study outcome
• History of a severe psychological illness or condition
• Known hypersensitivity to any component of the product
• Women lactating, pregnant, nursing or of childbearing potential with a positive pregnancy test
• Males or females of reproductive potential not willing to use effective contraception (e.g. contraceptive pill, IUD, physical barrier)
• Alcohol, drug or chemical abuse Exclusion criteria related to prior treatments
• Previous DMARD therapy other than MTX at least for the last 28 days prior screening due to washout time of different DMARD therapies (including Leflunomide etc.)
• Previous immunosuppressive biologic therapy at least for the last
• 4 weeks prior to screening for Enbrel® (etanercept) - with a terminal half-life of 102 ± 30 hours (s.c. route)
• 10 weeks prior to screening for Humira® (adalimumab) - with a terminal half-life of 10-20 days (average 2 weeks) (s.c. route)
• 10 weeks prior to screening for Simponi® (golimumab) - with a terminal half-life of 11-14 days
• 10 weeks prior to screening for Cimzia® (certolizumab) - with a terminal half-life of approx. 14 days
• 8 weeks prior to screening for Remicade® (infliximab) - with a terminal half-life of 8.0-9.5 days (i.v. infusion)
• 60 days prior to screening due to washout time of other immunosuppressive biologic therapies
• current participation in another interventional clinical trial

Exclusion criteria related to laboratory:

• Haemoglobin < 8.5 g / dl
• Neutrophil counts < 1.500 / μl
• Platelet count < 75.000 / μl
• Lower than 1 x 1000 / μl lymphopenia for more than three months prior to inclusion.
• Serum creatinine > 1.4 mg / dl for women or 1.6 mg / dl for men
• AST or ALT > 2.5 time upper limit of norm

Exclusion criteria related to formal aspects:

- Underage or incapable patients