Comparing Risks and Benefits of Different Treatments for Inflammatory Arthritis
Comparing Risks and Benefits of Different Treatments for Inflammatory Arthritis
The Problem
People with inflammatory types of arthritis now have access to a number of new, very effective medications called biologics and targeted synthetic drugs. Choosing which medication to use can be difficult because we don’t have enough information directly comparing the risks and benefits of the different medications.
The Research
This study will use administrative health data on everyone in British Columbia who has used these medications, which includes about 24,000 patients, to compare the risk of infections, heart attacks, strokes and clots in the veins among patients using the different medications.
The Impact
By providing real-world evidence comparing the different treatments available, this study will help clinicians and people with inflammatory arthritis better weigh risks and benefits and make more informed decisions about their treatment options.
Research Study
Research Study
This study provides real-world evidence comparing the risk of severe infections using different types of biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for inflammatory arthritis. The study followed 24,005 patients in British Columbia over several years and found that the risk of severe infections within one year and five years was significantly higher for people using rituximab and anti-IL6 drugs compared to people using anti-TNF biologics. The five-year risk was also higher with Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKi). There was no difference in infection risk for other biologics like abatacept or anti-IL17 compared to anti-TNFs. These findings provide real-world evidence to help patients and clinicians make informed treatment decisions when weighing the risks and benefits of different biologics and advanced DMARD therapies.
Research Scientist
Research Scientist
Diane Lacaille
Scientific Director, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC
Dr. Diane Lacaille is the Scientific Director and Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada; as well as a Professor, Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. She has a rheumatology practice in Vancouver, BC. She holds the Mary Pack Chair in Rheumatology Research from UBC and The Arthritis Society of Canada. She completed medical school and internal medicine training at McGill University in Montreal, and her Rheumatology training and a Master’s in Health Sciences, clinical epidemiology, at the University of British Columbia.
