Cited by 196Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and TherapiesAutoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders ResearchBiosimilars and Bioanalytical Methods

Subcutaneous abatacept versus intravenous abatacept: A phase IIIb noninferiority study in patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate

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Genovese, M. C., Covarrubias, A., Leon, G., Mysler, E., Keiserman, M., Valente, R., Nash, P., Simon‐Campos, J. A. +10 more·2011·Arthritis & Rheumatism

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) abatacept. METHODS: In this phase IIIb double-blind, double-dummy, 6-month study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inadequate responses to methotrexate were randomized to receive 125 mg SC abatacept on days 1 and 8 and weekly thereafter (plus an IV loading dose [∼10 mg/kg] on day 1) or IV abatacept (∼10 mg/kg) on days 1, 15, and 29 and every 4 weeks thereafter. The primary end point for determining the noninferiority of SC abatacept to IV abatacept was the proportion of patients in each group meeting the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (achieving an ACR20 response) at month 6. Other efficacy end points, immunogenicity, and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: Of 1,457 patients, 693 of 736 (94.2%) treated with SC abatacept and 676 of 721 (93.8%) treated with IV abatacept completed 6 months. At month 6, 76.0% (95% confidence interval 72.9, 79.2) of SC abatacept-treated patients versus 75.8% (95% confidence interval 72.6, 79.0) of IV abatacept-treated patients achieved an ACR20 response (estimated difference between groups 0.3% [95% confidence interval -4.2, 4.8]), confirming noninferiority of SC abatacept to IV abatacept. Onset and magnitude of ACR responses and disease activity and physical function improvements were comparable between the SC and IV abatacept-treated groups. The proportions of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs over 6 months were 67.0% and 4.2%, respectively, in the SC abatacept-treated group and 65.2% and 4.9%, respectively, in the IV abatacept-treated group, with comparable frequencies of serious infections, malignancies, and autoimmune events between groups. SC injection site reactions (mostly mild) occurred in 19 SC abatacept (IV placebo)-treated patients (2.6%) and 18 IV abatacept (SC placebo)-treated patients (2.5%). Abatacept-induced antibodies occurred in 1.1% of SC abatacept-treated patients and 2.3% of IV abatacept-treated patients. CONCLUSION: SC abatacept provides efficacy and safety comparable with that of IV abatacept, with low immunogenicity and high retention rates, consistent with the established IV abatacept profile. Rates of injection site reactions were low. SC abatacept will provide additional treatment options, such as an alternative route of administration, for patients with RA.

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Authors
Genovese, M. C., Covarrubias, A., Leon, G., Mysler, E., Keiserman, M., Valente, R., Nash, P., Simon‐Campos, J. A., Porawska, W., Box, J., Legerton, C., Nasonov, E., Durez, P., Aranda, R., Pappu, R., Delaet, I., Teng, J., & Alten, R.
Affiliations
  • Stanford University (US)
  • Centro Nacional de Información de Ciencias Médicas (CU)
  • Instituto De Ginecologia Y Reproduccion, Lima, Peru
  • Organización Médica de Investigación, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
  • Physician Research Collaboration, Lincoln, Nebraska
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Centro De Especialidades Médicas/HRAEPY, Merida, Mexico
  • Poznanski Osrodek Medyczny Novamed, Poznań, Poland
  • Box Arthritis and Rheumatology of the Carolinas, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Low Country Rheumatology, Charleston, South Carolina
  • Association of Rheumatologists of Russia (RU)
  • Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (BE)
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb (United States) (US)
  • Schlosspark-Klinik (DE)
Corresponding author
Genovese, M. C.
Venue
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-09-27
Volume
63
Issue
10
Pages
2854-2864
ISSN
  • 0004-3591 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-0131
OpenAlex
W2028514817
Cited by
196
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 12
FWCI
14.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Arthritis & Rheumatism (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DIAL (Catholic University of Leuven) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders Research
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Biosimilars and Bioanalytical Methods
Keywords
abatacept, subcutaneous administration, intravenous administration, rheumatoid arthritis, inadequate response to methotrexate, non-inferiority, ACR20 response, immunogenicity, adverse events, injection site reactions, disease activity, physical function, biologic therapy, treatment safety and efficacy comparison, serious infections, cancer
MeSH terms
Abatacept, Adult, Aged, Arthritis, Rheumatoid, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Injections, Intravenous, Injections, Subcutaneous, Male, Methotrexate, Middle Aged, Treatment Outcome, Antirheumatic Agents, Immunoconjugates

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