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Clinical efficacy of abatacept in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment retention and efficacy of abatacept, the first member of a new class of biologic agents, in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients during clinical practice.

Methods

A retrospective multicenter study was conducted with patients who underwent abatacept therapy for 24 weeks (n = 143).

Results

Patients at baseline had a mean age of 63.5 years, a mean disease duration of 11.3 years, and a mean disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) of 4.5. Overall retention of abatacept treatment was 83.2 % at 24 weeks, when 46.2 % of patients achieved DAS28-defined low disease activity (LDA; DAS28 <3.2) and 26.6 % achieved DAS28-defined remission (DAS28 <2.6). LDA was achieved in a significantly higher proportion of patients without prior biologics therapy compared to those with prior biologics (60.9 vs. 34.2 %, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between patients with or without concomitant methotrexate (MTX) therapy (45.2 vs. 47.5 %).

Conclusions

Abatacept therapy appears to be highly effective and well tolerated during clinical treatment of RA. Abatacept was particularly effective in patients with no history of biologics use, and did not appear to be dependent on concomitant MTX therapy.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Toshihisa Kanamono (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, Nagano, Japan), Dr. Yukiyoshi Oh-ishi (Department of Rheumatology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan), Dr. Yoshito Etoh (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, Nagoya, Japan), and Dr. Masahiro Kobayakawa (Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Fukuroi Municipal Hospital, Fukuroi, Japan) for their kind suggestions. This work was supported by the Aichi D.R.G. Foundation and a grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare entitled “Study for mortality-based optimal management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the biologic era” (chaired by Prof. H. Yamanaka, Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan).

Conflict of interest

N. Ishiguro, T. Kojima, Y. Hirano and A. Kaneko have received speaking fees (<$5000) from Abbott Japan Co. Ltd.; Eisai Co. Ltd.; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation; Pfizer Co. Ltd.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Ltd. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rheumatology, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan

    Nobunori Takahashi, Toshihisa Kojima, Kenya Terabe, Daizo Kato, Koji Funahashi, Hiroyuki Matsubara, Yosuke Hattori, Masahiro Hanabayashi, Shinya Hirabara, Yutaka Yoshioka & Naoki Ishiguro

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rheumatology, Nagoya Medical Center, 4-1-1 Sanno-maru, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Atsushi Kaneko, Daihei Kida & Hisato Ishikawa

  3. Department of Rheumatology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, 50 Hakken-nishi, Aotake-cho, Toyohashi, Japan

    Yuji Hirano

  4. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Konan Kosei Hospital, 137 Oomatsubara, Takaya-cho, Konan, Aichi, Japan

    Takayoshi Fujibayashi

  5. Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Hospital, 5-1 Tsukudo-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Yuichiro Yabe

  6. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nagoya Kyoritsu Hospital, 1-172 Hokke, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya, Japan

    Hideki Takagi

  7. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Anjo Kosei Hospital, 28 Higashihirokute, Anjo, Japan

    Takeshi Oguchi

  8. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ichinomiya Municipal Hospital, 2-2-22 Bunkyo, Ichinomiya, Japan

    Hiroyuki Miyake

  9. Kato Orthopedic Clinic, 8-4 Minami-myoudaiji-cho, Okazaki, Japan

    Takefumi Kato

  10. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kariya-Toyota General Hospital, 5-15 Sumiyoshi-cho, Kariya, Japan

    Naoki Fukaya

  11. Department of Rheumatology, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, 5-22-1 Wakazato, Nagano, Japan

    Masatoshi Hayashi

  12. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shizuoka Kosei Hospital, 23 Kitaban-cho, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan

    Seiji Tsuboi

Authors
  1. Nobunori Takahashi
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  2. Toshihisa Kojima
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  3. Kenya Terabe
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  4. Atsushi Kaneko
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  6. Yuji Hirano
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  7. Takayoshi Fujibayashi
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  8. Yuichiro Yabe
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  9. Hideki Takagi
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  10. Takeshi Oguchi
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  11. Hiroyuki Miyake
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  12. Takefumi Kato
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  13. Naoki Fukaya
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  14. Hisato Ishikawa
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  15. Masatoshi Hayashi
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  16. Seiji Tsuboi
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  17. Daizo Kato
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  18. Koji Funahashi
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  19. Hiroyuki Matsubara
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  20. Yosuke Hattori
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  21. Masahiro Hanabayashi
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  22. Shinya Hirabara
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  23. Yutaka Yoshioka
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  24. Naoki Ishiguro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nobunori Takahashi.

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Takahashi, N., Kojima, T., Terabe, K. et al. Clinical efficacy of abatacept in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients. Mod Rheumatol 23, 904–912 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0760-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-012-0760-4

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