Switching from Biologic to Biosimilar Feasible in Rheumatic Joint Disease
Despite mild disease flares in some patients, switching from adalimumab (Humira) to its biosimilar SB5 is feasible in patients with rheumatic joint diseases, concluded a real-life cohort study published online in Clinical Rheumatology.
The study included 82 adults with inflammatory rheumatic joint diseases treated with adalimumab for at least 6 months: 19 patients had rheumatoid arthritis, 28 had psoriatic arthritis, 32 had axial spondyloarthritis, and 3 had juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
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Three months after switching from adalimumab to SB5, patients with rheumatoid arthritis remained stable, researchers found. However, patients with psoriatic arthritis showed increases on the Health Assessment Questionnaire, Disease Activity Score 28 (CRP), and Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis indexes, and patients with axial spondyloarthritis showed increases in Visual Analogue Scale (VSA) pain, VAS patient disease activity, and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score.
Changes in concomitant medications allowed for the control of minor disease flares, according to the study, and activity index increases regressed by 6 months after the switch to SB5.
Regarding SB5 safety, 33.7% of patients reported adverse events 3 months after switching to the biosimilar. By 6 months, the percentage dropped to 16.6%. Adverse events were mostly disease flares and infectious events, the study found. SB5 was discontinued in two patients.
—Jolynn Tumolo
Reference
Bruni C, Bitti R, Nacci F, et al. Efficacy and safety of switching from reference adalimumab to SB5 in a real-life cohort of inflammatory rheumatic joint diseases [published online ahead of print Jun 8, 2020]. Clin Rheumatol. doi:10.1007/s10067-020-05199-w
