Maintenance of remission and monotherapy status over 66 months in patients with psoriatic arthritis receiving etanercept.

Objectives: To determine if patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who achieved remission within 6 months with etanercept (ETN) treatment (with or without methotrexate) were able to maintain remission over 66 months. Monotherapy status over the study duration was also monitored.

Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of PROVE (NCT00938015), a multicentre, observational study into the long-term adherence of ETN performed in rheumatology clinics in Belgium. To be included in PROVE, patients had active PsA and were either already receiving ETN treatment or had recently been prescribed it. Patients who achieved remission (defined as zero joints with synovitis) after 6 months of ETN treatment were monitored for maintenance of remission at each subsequent visit. In addition, patients on ETN monotherapy at Month 6 were observed.

Results: 303 patients participated and 156 (51.5%) patients completed 66 months of ETN treatment. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) disease duration was 7.5 (7.4) years and the majority had polyarticular-type PsA (87.1%). Overall, 142 patients achieved remission after 6 months of ETN treatment. Among the 83 patients who were in remission at Month 6 and remained in the study until the end, 72 (86.7%) were still in remission at Month 66. After 6 months, 66 patients were receiving ETN monotherapy and the majority continued with it until Month 66 (n=22/26; 84.6%).

Conclusions: Within this patient population, remission was achieved quickly and was sustained in the long-term. Of those patients who were receiving monotherapy, most continued with this treatment strategy for the duration of the study.