Long-term Use of Golimumab in Daily Practice for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and drug retention rate of golimumab (GLM) for long-term use in daily practice for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Patients with RA who started GLM therapy with a minimum follow-up period of 52 weeks were included. The patients were divided into a biologic-naïve group and switch group. The disease activity score (DAS) 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (DAS28-ESR), grip power, and Japanese version of the health assessment questionnaire (J-HAQ) score were assessed. In addition, the treatment continuation rate was evaluated at the final follow-up. Patients Sixty-five patients (58 women and 7 men; median [range] age, 69 [61-74] years; median [range] disease duration, 9 [5-16] years) were included. Twenty-eight patients were biologic-naïve (naïve group), and 37 were switched to biologics (switch group). Results The median (range) follow-up period was 134 (58-162) weeks. The DAS28-ESR improved from a median (range) of 4.31 (3.52-5.25) to 2.65 (2.28-3.77) in the naïve group and from 4.27 (3.19-4.89) to 2.89 (2.49-3.88) in the switch group. The grip power improved in both groups (p<0.01); however, the J-HAQ score showed no marked improvement in either group. The continuation rates were 22/28 (78.6%) in the naïve group, and 26/37 (70.3%) in the switch group at the final follow-up. Conclusion We herein report for the first time that the long-term use of GLM improves the grip power. Improving the grip power may help prevent sarcopenia and frailty in the future. Given the efficacy and high continuation rate, we suggest that GLM would be a well-tolerated treatment option for RA.

Golimumab Ameliorates Pancreatic Inflammatory Response in the Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Rats

“…In another study conducted with children with Type 1 diabetes, the use of another TNF-α-blocking drug etanercept showed similar favorable effects on the pancreas. 22 Thus, these findings may support why GLM may be a favorable therapeutic in case of AP and AP-related pancreatic complications.…”

Effectiveness and Safety of Golimumab for Patients ≥75 Years Old with Rheumatoid Arthritis

“…In the GO-MONO study, GLM monotherapy resulted in good clinical and radiographic improvements ( 14 ). We previously reported the long-term use of GLM at Niigata Rheumatic Center ( 15 ); specifically, we described improvements in grip power associated with GLM treatment. In another study of real-world clinical data, Okazaki et al reported that the safety and effectiveness of GLM treatment were nearly identical between elderly and younger patients ( 16 ).…”